First, the breaking news: Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde confirmed to Funfare Update that she has a standing offer for Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos to star in a movie with Robin Padilla.
“I will co-produce it with either GMA Films or TV5,” said Mother Lily. “It’s Vilma’s call.”
“Interested si Vi,” said Vilma’s Girl Friday Aida Fandialan.
If that project pushed through, it would be a brilliant casting coup. It’s about time Robin and Vilma did a movie together, isn’t it?
But first, Vilma will have to finish shooting The Healing, with Chito Roño as director, which is the second (after In My Life) in her existing three-picture contract with Star Cinema. The Healing will start shooting early next month.
Incidentally, Robin has just come back from a European holiday with his wife Mariel Rodriguez that brought them to Amsterdam, Paris and Rome. Robin did a show with some ABS-CBN stars to promote his action-adventure series Guns & Roses but he and Mariel split from the group and traveled on their own.
“As a Catholic,” Mariel told Funfare Update, “I wanted to visit The Vatican but it was never our intention to talk to The Pope,” contrary to reports that they went there on purpose to ask the The Vatican’s permission for her and Robin to get married in Catholic rites as follow-up to their Muslim wedding last year in Taj Mahal, India.
In the first place, Mariel and Robin didn’t have any prior appointment with The Pope.
But according to reports, the couple did talk to a priest who asked them to produce some papers as a “guarantee” that they wouldn’t separate. They didn’t have the required paper with them.
“Okey lang,” said Mariel. “What’s important is that we are in love with each other. Rules are just man-made, not by God,” adding that as of now, she is without religion “but not without God.”
Isn’t she converting to Islam?
“No,” said Mariel. “I still have to learn how to say the Muslim prayer.”
Isn’t Robin talking her into “converting”?
“No,” said Mariel. “No pressure from Robin. We respect each other’s (religious) beliefs.”
And how soon do they plan to have a baby?
“Not so soon. At the moment, Robin is my baby and I enjoy taking care of him.”
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com. You may also send your questions to askrickylo@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos visit http://www.philstar.com/funfare.)