Korina did promise Kris

In one edition of ABS-CBN’s SNN (Showbiz News Ngayon), host Kris Aquino seemed to have indirectly confirmed that the wedding of Korina Sanchez (who was once romantically linked to Kris’ Kuya Noynoy) and Sen. Mar Roxas has been set “in the near future” (read: before the 2010 presidential election in which Mar could be in the race).

“Korina said that my son, Baby James, will be the ring bearer,” Kris cheerfully announced.

“Yes,” Korina admitted to Funfare, “I did promise Kris that but I didn’t really set a date,” adding half in jest, “I just hope that Baby James will still a baby by then.”

Baby James is only two years old so by “by then,” does Korina mean that the much-talked-about-but-never-confirmed wedding be held, oh now, after the election? What if...you know? 

“It looks like it’s going to be that way but until I asked and there’s a date,” added Korina, “it remains to be seen.”

Korina should keep her fingers crossed that her lucky streak will continue. You see, after bagging a Silver Medal at the New York Festivals last year for her investigative report on substandard food supplements, she won a brand-new SUV as grand prize in the recent AIG Cards raffle.

“I thought it was a joke because I have never won anything in a raflle before that,” said Korina who, on her dzMM show Tambalang Failon at Sanchez with Ted Failon, even “scolded” the raffle sponsors and threatened to have them arrested for fooling the public. “And then I realized that I really won! I couldn’t believe it!”

Will Korina’s lucky streak benefit Sen. Mar in 2010?

* * *

They parted as friends, leaving no hard feelings toward each other.

At least that’s how the “mystery” surrounding his break-up with Pops Fernandez has ended, according to Jomari Yllana who initiated the break-up just barely two weeks after Pops and ex-husband Martin Nievera’s Missing You reunion concert at the Araneta Coliseum, produced by Fearless Productions of Jomari and the Singson brothers Ronald and Ryan.

“Pops and I had a four-hour talk (a few days ago) but what we talked about would have to remain just between the two of us,” Jomari said when he guested “live” in last Saturday night’s pilot episode of Cool Center, the new GMA show hosted by his brother Anjo and Eugene Domingo. “After Pops and I talked, I remember telling a friend, ‘First time akong nakipag-break nang maayos at walang samaan ng loob and I feel good about it.”

But he was offended by Martin’s comments on the break-up, printed exclusively in Funfare last Friday.

Like Martin who said he would never work with Jomari again, Jomari also let off quite a mouthful, to wit:

• ”Mr. Nievera, it’s your prerogative. But as far as the production is concerned, hindi kami nagkulang sa’yo. In fact, we just made you and Pops respectively the highest-paid concert local entertainers to date.” (Note: Martin said that he has been fully paid. No complaint in that area.)

• ”Mr. Nievera, ang hindi ko maintindihan sa’yo ay kung bakit ka nakikisawsaw sa naging sitwasyon namin ni Pops. When you and Pops had a conflict, I kept my distance. Labas ako sa naging issue ninyo.” (Note: Martin said that it was Pops who told him about the break-up, crying, and he offered to mediate at a time when, he said, he and Pops couldn’t find Jomari who went “missing” for more than a week after the concert, neither answering calls nor texting back.)

• “Mr. Nievera, I want to assure you that Pops and I settled the issue between us in a very mature manner. The love and respect we feel for each other remain...Please bear in mind that you did not lose Pops because of me; you lost Pops because of you and who you are. And now you are doing it again by being immature.” (Note: Martin said that if Pops, as quoted by Funfare, was “healing but hurting,” then he, too, was “hurting.”)

The exes, and Martin himself, denied that money was a factor in the break-up; neither was there a third party. It was caused by “irreconcilable differences,” Jomari told Funfare a day after news of the break-up broke into print.

Case closed?

Stay tuned.

What’s up?

• The PLDT Smart Foundation (PSF) and Cinemabuhay announced a deadline of April 15 for the submission of script entries to the 2009 Cinemabuhay competition. The PSF makes an annual award of P1 million for a script by a new filmmaker. For details, call Flor Altarejos at 856-5178.

• Maestro Ryan Cayabyab announced that an international casting team from Hong Kong Disneyland will be in Manila to audition musicians on March 19 (Thursday) and March 20 (Friday), from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, at The Music School of Ryan Cayabyab in Robinsons Galleria. For further info, call 637-9840 or 914-5055.

• From Prof. Jesse Joey Alvarado, RN, MAEd, New Era University, College of Nursing: Just to rectify lang about the school in the story about Klaudia Koronel (printed in Funfare a few weeks ago). You mentioned New Era College several times. The school has been renamed New Era University. Most of its courses have been upgraded because of competence, new facilities and achievements in the board exams.