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For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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Saner Tan calmly closed the door of his European-made SUV, and did his traditional routine every time he’s going for ‘long-drive’. I wasn’t really sure if my being privy to his routine was a good thing or not; but one thing was certain, it was weird.
As soon as he got into his huge truck, he took 3 deep breaths, and seemed to meditate for about 10 seconds: You know, eye closed, mumbling words tucked under his lower lip, like blowing air into a plastic straw.
Then after a sudden “fish-like” wiggle, Mr. Tan slowly puts on his ‘Tony Ferrer-style” sunglasses, checked his looks on the rear-view mirror, and gave out a shy smile as soon as he approved of his looks.
He then wore his leopard leather gloves into his hands, and then retrieved a briefcase from the front compartment.
He scrutinized the briefcase like how the US customs check Balikbayan boxes from the Philippines for Balut, Mangga, Bagoong, or Osama Bin laden. Gosh! It was the briefcase of mystery.
I have heard of Mr. Tan’s briefcase and how it made him a legend of sorts.
I was told that when his office downtown burned down to the ground, he risked his life, and went back for the briefcase. He suffered 2nd degree burns as a result.
I was busy thinking about the briefcase, when Gina, my friend, and Mr. Tan’s daughter, came out of their house, with her backpack on, and gave me a nudge. “Let’s go, my mom, coming out in a few”, she said.
So Gina opened the back door of the SUV and we both hopped in.
A couple of minutes, later, her mother, Polu, came in, and off we went to our summer long drive.
Destination: Florida. Roughly, 18-20 hours of driving from Jersey City, NJ.
As soon as Mr. Tan entered the turnpike, I immediately reached for my bag to get my iPod. It wasn’t there.
“Darn it! I could leave my clothes, but not my iPod”, I whispered.
“Don’t panic Ted”, Mr. Tan said, without looking at me, . “The SUV came in with a CD player when I bought it”, he added with a slight coat of sarcasm.
“All’s well then, I guess”, I replied. “Yeah right, this better work”, I thought.
But he seemed to have heard what I thought, because I saw him staring at me through the rear-view, with hellish eyes. His frown made his forehead wrinkle like San Andrea’s fault.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Mr. Tan pulled over, reached for the front compartment, and then took out the briefcase: The briefcase of mystery. “Here, you handle this”, Mr. Tan commanded me in a voice bigger and lower than his usual tenor pitch.
I reluctantly took the briefcase from him, and placed it on my lap. “Open it, and take out whatever you want. But be sure, that what you take, is what you want”, he continued.
I swear to the heavens, my sweat was like the Niagara Falls.
Gina and Mrs. Tan were in shock as well. “Darling, are you sure?” Mrs. Tan asked her husband. “Yes, it’s about time”, He replied. “But daddy?” Gina yelled. “Gina, it’s time”, he said with a certainty and finality that can rival the end of the world. Then there was silence.
I must have recited all the prayers I know of, even pagan prayers, in the hope of having this cup pass from me. But there was nothing I could do,
Gina managed to write a message using a napkin and a pen she bought. She then handed over the message-laden napkin, in a very cautious manner, hoping her father won’t see us through his periscope of doom – the rear-view.
I reached for the napkin. It read: “Be careful. Choose wisely”.
I realized how tragic my position was. There I was, stuck in an 18-hour trip with a family expecting me to choose wisely from anything inside a briefcase, which I don’t even know what contained.
We were only 20 minutes away from our staring point, yet somehow, I felt my summer long-drive vacation had already ended.
My fingers started undoing the double latches of the briefcase. Click! The sound of the freed latches reverberated inside silent upholstery of the SUV, and it collected a deep, silent, sigh from Mr. Tan, who managed to keep his eyes on the road, and not on me.
Slowly, I lifted the case top. At first, I couldn’t quite make out what’s in there due to the stuffiness of the briefcase.
But as soon as I opened the whole thing, I knew I was doomed.
Deep inside the privacy of my mind, I tightened my jaws, clenched my fist, and let out a silent scream that echoed around my cells, my veins, my organs, and my skull.
It was the loudest scream I ever screamed without anybody hearing it.
It was so silently powerful, my brain convulsed, and my eyes went white.
(To be continued)
Ted Reyes is a journalist, composer, musician and record producer based in NY. For comments about this column or submissions for music or film review etc. you can email him at tedreyes@mac.com or visit his website at http://www.tedreyes.com.
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MANILA --- Young actress Anne Curtis does not see herself undergoing breast augmentation. Not this early, as she is only 20. Nor would she give it a thought in her lifetime.
“Sa totoo lang, happy and contented ako with what God has given me physically. Lately, may mga additional na gifts pa Siya sa akin. And this has something to do with my career. I have to admit that Iíve never felt so good,” she reveals.
She has three shows running on ABS-CBN. These are her daily series, “Kampanerang Kuba,” and on Sundays, she has “Qpids” and “The Buzz.”
Currently, she is starting a movie with Lucky Manzano. A trilogy, the two other episodes will feature the love teams of John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo and Angelica Panganiban and Jason Abalos.
Anne takes to Danica Sotto and Cheska Garcia as her two best friends in showbiz. Although they are all busy with their respective schedule, they make it a point to meet at least once a week. And what do they do when they are together?
“Wala,” Anne says. “Nagdadaldalan lang. Parang niri-recap kung anuman ang mga nangyari sa amin within the period na di kami nagkikita. Although, ang mga bagay na ito naman ay napag-u-usapan namin sa cell phone.”
Have they experienced a falling out?
“All friends naman experience ang tinatawag na bati-galit, galit-bati pero, sa awa ng Diyos, ‘di pa kami nag-away-away ng talagang maituturing na away. Although, at one time, I thought Danica would take it against me because I broke up with Oyo Boy, her younger brother.
“Ito rin ang feeling ko when I turned Patrick (Garcia, Cheskaís younger brother) down.
“Pero, sabi nga nila sa akin, we should not allow my problem with their brothers affect our friendship.
“I’m really so glad I have them as my friends,” Anne said. (MNS)
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MANILA --- Jodi Santamaria is getting more wicked in her role as Victoria in the teleserye, “Kampanerang Kuba,” on ABS CBN.
Isn’t she afraid that her following will, in time, abhor her?
“That is expected,” Jodi answered. “Alam kong sa ginawa kong baguhin ang aking image, kasama ring nawala ang image kong dating sweet and wholesome. Direk Wenn (Deramas) and I talked about this before we started taping for ‘Kampanerang Kuba.’ It’s now all happening.
“Masaya, di ba?” she stated further.
Now nearly five months on the family way, Jodi looks even prettier. She has no idea yet what the gender of her baby will be. Actually, she and husband Pampi Lacson doesn’t really care if their baby turns out to be a boy or a girl. “Sa amin, kuntento na ang maipanganak ko siyang healthy and strong.” (MNS)
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MANILA --- At the presscon of ‘Sablay Ka Na, Pasaway Ka Pa,’ sexy actress Katrina Halili cried when some writers asked her when she’s going to go bold.
‘Noon pa nila sinasabi sa’kin ‘yan, e ayoko naman,’ she says. ‘I was projected as a bad girl na napulot lang daw habang gumigimik sa Libis. Some people even told me then na walang mangyayari sa career ko kundi ako magpapa-sexy, but with the Lord’s grace, naririto pa rin naman ako. I think I made the right decision when I chose to play villain roles in soaps like ‘Forever in My Heart’ and ‘Ganti’ in ‘Now and Forever.’ Soon, I’ll also tape for Darna playing a surprise character. Tapos, nakuha pa kong endorser in two TV commercials.’
She’s glad her first movie, “Sablay Ka Na,” is a wholesome comedy. “I play the carefree daughter of Al Tantay. To make sure hindi ako mapapahamak, he got me a bodyguard, Mikey Arroyo. Noong una, puro away kami nito, but in the end I’ll fall in love with him. My best friends in the story are Ethel Booba and Anna Leah Javier. At least, first movie ko, bida ako agad.”
Is it true her boyfriend is Andrew Schwimmer?
“He’s a very close friend. We play badminton, nagte-text kami. Gan’on lang.” (MNS)
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MANILA --- Kris Aquino has withdrawn her R80-million libel suit against GMA-7. Accompanied by boyfriend James Yap, Kris appeared at the sala of Judge Selma Alaras of Branch 62, Makati Regional Trial Court on Monday (Aug. 8) to sign her affidavit of desistance, which meant she is no longer interested in pursuing the case which she filed against the network last year.
Kris initially wanted to pursue the case till the end, but after the case was dismissed by the court following her signing of an affidavit of desistance, the top female TV host of ABS-CBN told reporters “I followed by mom’s (former President Cory Aquino) advice not to pursue the case.
Sabi niya, sa GMA-7 naman ako nag-umpisa ng career ko.” Kris, who was in good spirits and was visibly in her best elements and looked fashionable even in her casual attire, said she decided to settle the case last Monday (8/8/05) because of the two 8’s that day which she believed was a good day for a reconcilation.
Kris agreed to drop the case in exchange for a personal apology from GMA Public Affairs Chief Butch Raquel and former GMA-7 PR girl Tet Defensor who e-mailed statements to movie columnists which Kris believed were derogatory to her person so she filed a libel case against the network, Raquel and Defensor. Because of the case, Defensor lost her job at the network’s PR department. The network issued an apology last year yet.
Hereunder is Butch Raquel and Tet Defensor’s letter of apology to Kris:
“We apologize for any injury that may have been inflicted on your person as a result of the publication of the column feed. We assure you that we did not have the intention to ridicule and embarrass you.”
Kris also said she doesn’t have time to indulge in long-running cases like this; she’d rather devote time and effort for the preparation of her wedding to her cager beau. They plan to exchange “I Do’s” in February next year, at the Baclaran Church.
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It may be Kris Aquino’s turn to be sued this time.
Although Senator Bong Revilla has issued a statement that he has forgiven Rosanna Roces for her derogatory statements against his family in a recent episode of “The Buzz,” the case is far from over if we have to take it from Lani Mercado’s statements to the press, including her recent text message to her kumare, Kris Aquino (Kris was ninang sa kumpil of Bryan Revilla, Bong and Lani’s eldest son), in answer to the two gaps offered to her and her family by “The Buzz” last Sunday.
The text message (taken from Cristy Fermin’s column in Bulgar) goes: “What we need are not two gaps, but an apology from your show and for Jolo’s lawyer to be there. Your show has hurt my family deeply.”
It was Atty. Katrina Legarda who appeared on “The Buzz” last Sunday. She represented Jolo Revilla. And she intimated that they may also sue “The Buzz” for allowing Rosanna Roces to malign her minor client (Jolo) on air. Many televiewers and movie writers reacted negatively to what they felt was irresponsibility on the part of the hosts to have allowed Osang to say disparaging remarks against Jolo, his parents and even grandfather in the show.
For this, the MTRCB also issued a warning to ABS-CBN and ordered that henceforth, any interview with Rosanna Roces will be pre-taped.(MB)
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