Gabby nega ang image sa mga pinoy sa Tate

Unlike their recent US trip, ang muling pag-alis ng mag-asawang Rudy Fernandez at Lorna Tolentino on April 28 will entail a three-week absence at the most. Balik-Amerika si Kuya Rudy for at least 12 infusions in three weeks, still part of the Rexin-G treatment (a much better alternative than chemotherapy).

As much as possible, ayaw pakasiguro ni Ms. LT sa papaganda nang senyales ng recovery ng kanyang kabiyak from periampulary cancer. But if and when, God forbid, sumablay pa ang treatment na ito ay hindi nangangahulugang the couple has given up their hope.

Sasailalim pa rin daw kasi si Kuya Rudy sa isa pang clinical trial, kung saan masusing pag-aaralan kung uubra ang another set of medications, kabilang na ang mala-vaccination na gagawin to completely arrest the spread of the cancer.

Unlike Lorna’s past interviews on Startalk, her eyes couldn’t lie this time. With their return last April 24, kasama rin niyang bitbit ang bagahe ng magandang kuwento ukol sa health updates ng kanyang “babe.”

Hindi naman siguro maituturing na kalabisan ang patuloy nating pagdarasal for an act of God to fall upon one of showbiz’s most loved personalities.

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Isn’t America home to Gabby Concepcion, after all? Shortly after the 1994 Manila Filmfest scam, doon na namalagi ang aktor. Singing his way to Pinoy audience (kahit non-singer siya), carving a niche in the real estate business, among other things.

But why is it that the US-based Pinoy media has a “nega” impression of Gabby?

Isa kasing reporter-friend who has connections with a Pinoy-owned newspaper company based in the US recently tapped me to contribute local showbiz articles. Sounds interesting, considering that the publication does not have to engage the services from the inside, eh, ang dali-dali namang i-access through the internet ang mga artikulong lumalabas dito. Konting rehash, and viola, it can be claimed as theirs na!

The sad part, nung nag-email na ang aking reporter-friend sa sinulat ko – an interview with Grace Ibuna and her daughter Gabrielle (by Gabby) and a column solely devoted to Gabby – the US-based Pinay publisher flatly rejected my contribution! Nega nga raw  kasi ang dating ni Gabby sa Amerika (in fairness, baka in some parts lang naman).

Just what tainted Gabby’s image kaya when he left US, his home for 13 years?