Is Eat Bulaga literally on a diet? For more than two decades now, kasama natin sa pananghalian ang EB, na kumbaga sa kanin, it has become every Pinoy’s staple TV fare. Pero kumbaga rin sa entertainment viands na inihahanda nito, binabawasan na rin ba ang mga putahe sa katauhan ng mga hosts?
Backstage sa Startalk, tinanong ko si Joey de Leon kung anong epekto mayroon ang mga kasong kinakaharap ngayon ng kanilang EB co-host, now a town vice mayor in Bataan na si Teri Onor. Let’s face it, kumbaga rin sa ulam, Teri does not appeal to the palate.
Nabalita pa nga that before Teri embarked on his political campaign, he left EB with a financial obligation to his co-host Jimmy Santos to the tune of God-knows-how-much. Later, lumantad na rin ang ilang taong pinagkakautangan ni Teri whose accountabilities ay ipinapasa naman din niya to those who owe him.
But what’s this we heard na may utang diumano si Teri sa isang nag-aalahas, to whom he has issued a number o checques na ang ending, tumalbog?
Anyway, back to EB, inamin ni Tito Joey na bagama’t hindi ‘‘good riddance’’ na nawala si Teri in the wake of such reports, ‘‘Nagbabawas pa nga kami ng hosts, eh. Puwede siguro si Teri tuwing Saturday na lang, pero walang konek ’yon sa mga kaso niya.’’
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Bad news sa mga tumatangkilik ng programang Palaban every Wednesday on GMA 7 as it takes a graceful exit on November 14. At presstime, I have yet to know what program replaces that of Winnie Monsod, Miriam Quiambao and Malou Mangahas’s, but one thing’s for sure, babaguhin daw ang format nito with the least certainty if all three female hosts are to be retained.
Minsan ko na kasing naisulat that its original format clicked with the viewers, with each of the three hosts tackling a subject right up her alley. Biglang-bigla, binago nila ito with a common topic of discussion all throughout the show, na kung tutuusin bordered on rehash and repetition.
If resurrected, sana ibalik na lang sa dating format ang Palaban with more provocative issues which are just too many. Feeling ko kasi, Palaban has become the serious counterpart of the sassy Sis of Janice and Gelli de Belen and Carmina Villaroel.
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For the first time in weeks, nagkitang muli sina Aiko Melendez at Martin Jickain noong Biyernes sa Branch 102 ng Quezon City RTC makaraan ng makailang beses ding pagkakaantala ng hinihinging application ng aktres-pulitiko para sa Permanent Protection Order (PPO).
Bagama’t hindi pa nai-lift ng korte ang naturang pag-uutos, in high spirits si Martin dahil sa ipinagkaloob na visitation rights sa kanya — not by the court — but by Aiko in consultation with her lawyer. Ang siste, Martin can visit their daughter Marthena only on Sundays, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Along this, binawasan na rin ang distance from 1,000 meters to 500 meters within which he can come near Aiko and their child.
Halatang very bland ang reaksyon nina Aiko at Martin towards each other, an air of indifference hovered that when asked to describe their face-off ay balewala lang. Between the two, Martin sounded more vocal nang tahasan niyang sabihin there was no more flicker of hope for a reconciliation.
Scene stealer naman ang ina ni Martin, si Mrs. Cecille Trono-Jickain, na ewan if there was a tinge of sincerity nu’ng sabihin niyang napamahal na rin daw si Aiko sa kanya. To the rescue rin ito sa isyung pambababae diumano ni Martin.
At nu’ng hiningan siya ng pahayag tungkol sa ilang Louis Vuitton bags ni Aiko that Martin had taken when he left their house, ani Mrs. Jickain, aanhin daw ng kanyang anak ang mga ladies’ bags na ’yon, samantalang machong-macho ito?
Hindi rin daw niya pinakikinggan ang mga ’yon as her lifestyle is so simple that she doesn’t go for signature items.