Celebrity Duets pera-pera lang ang laban

His busy schedule did not permit MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando to grace Celebrity Duets (CD) when it opened last year, pero kabilang na siya sa kung tawagi’y mga celebrity contenders sa Season 2 nito that kicked off last night.

Besides Joey Marquez, an ex-politico, Mr. BF is the only CD hopeful who’s joining the political fray come 2010 eyeing the highest position in the land nga ba? Sa ikalawang paanyaya raw sa kanya ng CD staff, mismong ang maybahay na niya ang pumilit sa kanya, no less than the Marikina City Mayor who believed that it would be a nice (pre-election) exposure for her husband.

Hindi naman kasi naiiba (in realistic terms) ang mechanics ng Celebrity Duets vis a vis politics where the nationwide votes are all that matter, regardless kung mahusay o hindi is in the race. Take it from the CD reigning champ and current judge (and social deviant?) Ms. Tessa Prieto-Valdes, a self-confessed non-talent in singing pero nagwagi.

Sa presscon nga nito noong Wednesday night, if Season 2’s celebrity contender JC Buendia was advised by his manghuhula to unleash his geisha to go full circle, Tessa unleashed a revelation na hindi na ikina-shock pa ng press.

On the text votes lie anyone’s victory: From siblings Joey and Melanie Marquez, from “hada-ble” chef JL Cang (luto kaya ’pag natalo siya?) to equally hada-ble pro soccer Phil Young­husband, all the way down to Cory Quirino and Carlene Aguilar.

’Ika nga, text and you’ll be the next. As Ms. Tessa very well put it: “Vote-buy.” So, pera-pera lang pala ang labanan dito? Eksakto! The viewer does not have to be a fan. Neither a believer of talent.

At least, hindi pretentious ang kumpetisyong ito, so was Pinoy Idol which, at the very onset, made clear its set of rules. But of the eight contenders, none of whom boasts of a talent in singing, matagal-tagal pa nilang papayamanin ang mga telecom companies.

As to who will emerge as Tessa’s successor, hindi raw si Chairman Bayani, kung si Carlene ang tatanungin. Between the two of them daw, she stands to win batay na rin umano sa not-so-good image nito. Said in a cute way, ibinulgar tuloy ni Carlene na twice umano siyang naging biktima ng ‘extortion’ by MMDA staff for beating the red light.

Mas malaking hamon ito kay BF to prove that despite mounting complaints against his office (that might affect his CD standing), he must live up to his name – Bayani – the hero that he is supposed to be.