Two more unforgettable interviews

In my past few columns, I’ve been running articles on my 15 most unforgettable Startalk interviews. However, I have to interrupt the series to squeeze in two more favorite interviews I did for Startalk that didn’t make it to the list and which I have to write about now because the people involved are very much in the news: Jinkee Pacquiao and Krista Ranillo.

The truth is, when I listed down my Top 15, my Jinkee interview came in at No. 16. My Krista interview was also unforgettable, but it would have landed on No. 21 or 22. But it was still nevertheless memorable and please do allow me to recall that on-cam conversation with her below.

Krista Ranillo — I am actually related to Krista by affinity. This is how I trace it: My middle name is Lim and a Lim aunt (Purita) married a Cabochan (Justo Jr.) whose sister (Petronila) married a Tupaz (Jose Jr.) and that union produced former model and cover girl Lynda Tupaz, mother of Krista.

The Tupazes were very rich. From what I know, their vast fortunes came from engraving and providing medals for the military. Initially they lived in a house in Maria Clara Street in the Retiro area and if I’m not mistaken that was also where they conducted business. In the very early ‘60s, however, they moved to EDSA (then still Highway 54) where their company — El Oro — built its factory, plus a fabulous residence for the Tupaz family.

Multi-tiered, the Tupaz home had large oil paintings of the residents (very much in vogue in the old days) and if I recall it right were even framed in gold leaf. I believe there was even a separate kitchen and small dining area on the second floor to make it convenient for the residents so that they don’t go downstairs anymore when they get hungry. Or if they didn’t like the food at home, they drove to the Manila Pen at 2 a.m. for an early breakfast serving of fried eggs, tapa and fried rice (way before the tapsilog counters mushroomed in the metropolis). The Tupazes were wealthy and admired. On the ground floor, there was even an enclosed area that housed the Tupaz family memorabilia.

In 1981, Lynda married matinee idol Mat Ranillo III and the following year, Krista was born and I held her in my arms as a baby in that house. We lost touch after that. Mat and Lynda flew to San Francisco and I just heard later that the property was razed by fire. I don’t even know what the place is right now and where it used to stand, but I do remember it was very near GMA 7.

Seventeen years later, I reported for Startalk and was told that I was interviewing Krista (then starring in the soap Rio del Mar). The baby I carried in my arms had grown up into a lovely young woman. Krista was all by herself that time because the rest of the family was based in the US and felt alone. To make her happy, we put her Dad on the phone long distance and I interviewed both of them on-cam. Tears started rolling down Krista’s cheeks and I will always remember that moment as my first Startalk interview where I made my guest cry (after five and a half years of training in Showbiz Lingo).

Now, father and daughter are crying foul over accusations linking Krista to Manny Pacquiao. Is there truth to that? Honestly, I don’t know and it is easy for me to say I don’t care (as in other showbiz issues) because I do. I’ve treated Krista like my own niece and, in fact, went out of my way last year to patch things up between father and daughter because Mat was scandalized with the way his eldest child’s film Paupahan was being promoted as a sexy film. No need for violent reactions — I explained to Mat who hadn’t seen the movie that time. I had watched the movie and we at Cinema Evaluation Board gave it a B and praised Krista’s performance along with the other cast members. It was a good film and I told Mat that he should even be proud of Krista.

The rumors are unfair — if untrue — to Krista because her reputation is being torn to pieces. But if there is even a grain of truth to it, Krista, get off it before you’re called unsavory names. Pambansang Kabit could be one of them and it would be difficult to live that label down. But save for Manny and Krista nobody knows the truth — not you, not me. And so let’s not be condemning people until we have concrete proof.

Jinkee Pacquiao — My first interview with Jinkee must have been five or six years ago and it wasn’t a one-on-one with her. She was seated beside Manny and we were just asking her perfunctory questions — basically just to show viewers that Pacquiao has a lovely wife. But even then, I already noticed that Jinkee was intelligent — maybe not in a scholarly way. She was articulate though — bright and talked with a lot of sense.

Life was still relatively simple for the Pacquiaos back then — absolutely no large entourage and no hangers-on. It was just Manny and Jinkee.

My first one-on-one with Jinkee took place last summer — the week after Manny defeated Ricky Hatton. Early Sunday evening, I got a call from Dr. Vicki Belo telling me that she had just wrapped up a Belo 101 edition with Jinkee, who had to skip Manny’s victory party in S.O.P. for that and it sparked rumors about the Pacquiaos having troubles at home. Vicki wanted to know if I wanted to interview Jinkee. Sure — it was going to be my pleasure. But there was no schedule yet though. I was on standby.

The following day, it was mid-afternoon when Belo Medical Center media director Leah Salterio informed me to proceed at 5 p.m. to the Belo clinic in Greenhills (in Connecticut St.) for my Jinkee print interview for this paper. Can I bring the Startalk crew with me?

Leah wasn’t sure if Jinkee would agree because as we talked Jinkee was going through a lot of procedures at Belo Makati: Platelet rich plasma (PRP) to nourish her skin to make it look younger, meso scalp to make her hair thicker and healthier and multi-polar on the arms to make them slimmer — plus botox on the forehead. Jinkee politely said no to face the camera because there was still slight swelling on the upper part of her face and the PRP treatment gave her a mask that made her cheeks look like they had egg whites (it’s supposed to be kept overnight).

After some convincing though, Jinkee agreed and I succeeded in unearthing angles that had been untouched by media before: Her relationship with mother-in-law Dionisia. Never had I gotten such sincere answers from a guest and I feared for Jinkee because she was too honest and I was afraid she’d get into trouble.

But I’ve always admired Jinkee for being so true and that’s what makes me fear that there may be trouble in paradise because I know her to be transparent and she didn’t seem to be happy the past several days.

Oh, what I’d do to have another interview with her — and with Krista and Manny for that matter. But I bet we’ll never get the truth. Manny is intelligent enough to realize what is good for him, especially now that he is entering politics, and surely he is still doing damage control as you read this for whatever problem they have at home.