Erap is 'Orig Orange'

In case you haven’t noticed, the 2010 campaign is a war of colors. Gibo Teodoro and Edu Manzano are green, Noynoy Aquino is yellow, Mar Roxas is blue while Bayani Fernando is...pink? Manny Villar is orange and his running-mate Loren Legarda is white. But Pres. Joseph “Erap” Estrada claims, and perhaps rightly so, that he’s the original Kulay Orange.

During a free-wheeling dinner with the movie press last Saturday, Erap explained the orange “history.”

“When I ran for senator, orange ang kulay ko. When I ran for vice president, orange ang kulay ko. When I ran for president, orange pa rin ang kulay ko. Why orange? The Marcos color is red and the Cory color is yellow. So para magkaroon ng unity, I chose orange as my color. Put red and yellow together and what do you get? Orange. Kaya akin ang kulay na ‘yan.”

Seconded Erap’s son, reelectionist Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, “Of course, we are still using the color orange, even if somebody is copying not only our color but lahat-lahat na --- including being maka-masa. If you recall, since my father ran for mayor, for senator, for vice president and then for president, he has always been identified with the masa. His battlecry is ‘Erap Para sa Mahirap.’ ‘Yung iba d’yan, matagal nang maraming pera, ngayon lang naging maka-mahirap.”

Asked for his opinion when he shared merienda with the movie press (in case you haven’t noticed, all candidates seem to be gravitating toward the movie press) yesterday at Annabel’s (Tomas Morato Ave., Quezon City), Senatoriable Gilbert Remulla (under Villar’s Nacionalista Party) said, “Nobody has a monopoly of color.”

Gilbert came in a purple shirt “because it complements orange.”

Gilbert is married to Georgia Roa (daughter of Ruby Diaz-Roa, sister of Gloria Diaz) with whom he has three children.

At 39 the second to the youngest senatoriable (his partymate Adel Tamano is one month younger), Gilbert has showbiz in his past and I’m not talking about his having been an ABS-CBN newscaster/field reporter but his having been linked to Vina Morales (now a mom who has reportedly broken up with her lover) and Pia Guanio (now the girlfriend of Vic Sotto).

Gilbert said he hasn’t seen nor talked to Vina for more than 10 years and he only “dated” Pia.

“Pia is strong and smart,” said Gilbert. “She can find happiness and knows where to find it. She’s happy where she is.”

Bong on all the girls he has loved before

At another lunch with the movie press, reelectionist Sen. Bong Revilla was basking not only in his victory as top-grosser in the last Metro Filmfest for his starrer Ang Panday (which also won him the Best Actor award) but also his consistently topping surveys among senatoriables, with his buddy Jinggoy Estrada coming close second.

“I thank showbiz for it,” conceded Bong. “Kung wala ako sa showbiz, I don’t think I would be so close to the heart of the masa. Higit akong naniniwala ngayon that if you do good, you are not only appreciated, you are also rewarded.”

In the 2010 campaign (with the national level beginning effective today), showbiz stars are in-demand as endorsers with huge “talent fees.” Asked about the idea of inviting “the girls he has loved before” to endorse him, Bong said, “Why not?” Asked further how much he would pay each of them, he blushed and joked, “Bayad na silang lahat!”  That sent the movie press laughing. What did Bong mean? Read his lips.

The Romulo’s Café PR man is an actor

People who go to Romulo’s Cafe (on Scout Lascano Street, Quezon City) never fail to notice the charming PR man who welcomes them with a big smile at the entrance. Doesn’t he look familiar?

Yes, he does and that’s because he moonlights as an actor. He’s none other than Alvin Fortuna whose last appearance was in the ABS-CBN soap Dahil May Isang Ikaw.

Alvin, 29, stands 5’10”, weighs 165 lbs. and is fair-complexioned. He started as a ramp model before he ventured into doing commercials and finally joining showbiz.

Besides Dahil May Isang Ikaw, he was also in several TV soaps on both GMA and ABS-CBN, including Bakekang, Lupin, Impostora, Atlantika, Princess Sarah, It Might Be You, Marina, Sugo and many others.

He has done bit parts in some movies including Scorpio Nights 2, Huwag Kang Kikibo, Lastikman, Gusto Ko Nang Lumigaya, etc.

Now you know who the charming guy is who says “Hello!” to you as soon as you enter Romulo’s Cafe.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected] or at [email protected])