MANALO. Eventful turn of events.
For weeks now, we have been looking for Jose Manalo on “Eat Bulaga,” but he’s been missing in action, an absence that been most noted and felt on the show’s “AlDub” segment.
When it began its hit run, Manalo played Frankie Arenoli in the daily rom-com, Yaya Dub’s ostensibly filthy rich “intended.” In fact, he was slated to marry her—but, she fainted during the nuptial rites, so the wedding didn’t push through—to fans of Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards’ delight!
Later, Manalo shifted gears and roles and played one of Yaya’s three grandmothers or grand-aunts, Lola Tinidora—until she inexplicably vanished from the TV screen—and seemingly from the face of the earth.
This prompted us and some viewers to mystifiedly ask, “Where in the world is Jose Manalo?”—but, official sources have been even more puzzlingly silent on the score.
Recently, however, a report traced Manalo’s current whereabouts to the States, where (the reporter surmised) the popular comedian may be cooling his heels due to some infraction or other—or a personal controversy.
Until it’s officially explained, such speculations will continue to proliferate—so, let’s hear the official version of events already! —The (missing) elephant in the room is growing bigger each day.
He’s back
—Right after we wrote the paragraphs above, only last Wednesday, in fact, the “missing in action” Manalo finally reappeared on “Eat Bulaga’s” kalyeserye portion—not as himself, but again as Frankie Arenoli.
He claimed that he had come home from parts “abroad,” and sported a trendy outfit to prove it. Where exactly had he been, and what had he been doing while away, not necessarily AWOL, from the show? Mum was the word, so viewers are still waiting for the real explanation.
In any case, last Wednesday’s comeback segment was quite eventful for Manalo’s alter ego, Frankie—who took one look at tall and lissome Cindy, Alden’s new “intended” (they’re set to get hitched today)—and Frankie promptly flipped!
—So, is that how the daily segment’s plot is going to go? Is a double wedding in the works?
—Uh, not so fast. It doesn’t look like the four-month-long kalyeserye is going to end just yet, what with Christmas approaching.
The Yuletide season means the Metro Manila Film Festival, and Vic Sotto, Ai Ai Delas Alas, Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards have a film (“My Bebe Love”) set to show there.
It needs to be plugged like crazy before it opens, and how better to do it than on the “AlDub” segment—so, it’s likely that the mini-romcom on “Eat Bulaga” will continue to run until the New Year.
In fact, we’ve been hearing for months now that the long-term plan has always been for “AlDub” to run all the way up to Valentine’s Day—with its finale being (but of course) the show biz wedding of the century of Yaya and Alden—in real or reel “reality,” as the case may be. —Was the little bird who told us that talking turkey?
—So many speculations, as viewers antsily wait for the official horse’s mouth to finally ‘fess up, as it should have done weeks ago. While the cat is mum, the mice will surmise (hey, we have to put that on a T-shirt!)—right?