Showbiz Roundup: From Mark Leviste gets ‘friendzoned’ by Kris Aquino, Miles Ocampo’s transition

Valentine’s week turned out to be the most explosive in February so far, as showbiz news about several personalities flooded our timelines.

While news about Willie Revillame’s controversial “utang na loob” remark continued to attract the attention of netizens, Kris Aquino’s love life is once again in the limelight, while Miles Ocampo’s effective acting in “Batang Quiapo” got rave reviews.

Here are some of the biggest showbiz news that hogged INQUIRER.net’s entertainment section from the week of Feb. 10 to Feb. 16.

Cristy Fermin, Ogie Diaz on Willie Revillame’s ‘utang na loob’ remark

Cristy Fermin and Ogie Diaz gave their own piece of mind about Willie Revillame’s remarks to people who he has given a favor to but are now saying snide comments towards him.

Fermin called out Revillame on her radio show, where she pointed out that the help that he extended to others should come from the heart, and not from “utang na loob.”

Meanwhile, Ogie Diaz seemed to allude to Revillame when he said that he hoped the TV host was able to blow off some steam in reproaching those who supposedly owed him a favor in a Facebook post. Diaz also claimed that he once accepted a cheque worth P50,000 from Revillame, but the former decided to give it to charity because he felt that there were other people who needed it more than he did.

Revillame eventually apologized for his controversial remark in a Feb. 8 episode of “Wowowin”, noting that he allowed his emotions towards critics get the best of him.

READ: Cristy Fermin, Ogie Diaz hit Willie Revillame’s ‘utang na loob’ remark; TV host says sorry

Kris Aquino’s mystery man friendzoned?

Kris Aquino opened up about her recent medical results which posed a “scary red flag”, during her 52nd birthday on Valentine’s Day, but nevertheless she is grateful for the public’s prayers and her support system which included a “determined man” who flew 13 hours to be with her in California, in the United States.

That man turned out to be Batangas vice governor Mark Leviste, who has been giving clues on social media about being affectionate towards Aquino, whom he called “my love and my dear.” The latter even commissioned Nice Print Photography studios to create a birthday and Valentine’s Day video presentation for her.

Aquino, however, was quick to clarify the status of her relationship with Leviste in the comments of his post, saying that while she appreciates the politician’s efforts, she considers him her “best male friend.”

READ: New romance? Kris Aquino spends birthday, Valentine’s Day with ‘best male friend’ Mark Leviste

More of Revillame’s claims

Willie Revillame said he decided to show a longer clip from his 2020 interview with former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque during an episode of his show “Wowowin” on Thursday, Feb. 9, claiming that a “spliced video” making rounds on social media was intended to put him in a negative light.

The controversial host then showed both the “spliced video” and the supposed longer version, which includes a necessary part of his conversation with Roque, noting that the public should be cautious about the content they consume on the internet.

“Advice ko sa inyo, may mga video na ini-edit nila [at] napapasama ‘yung ibang tao kasi hindi naman ‘yun ‘yung totoo (Here’s my advice to all of you: there are edited videos that make other people look bad [but these videos do not show] what really happened),” he said.

However, instead of the supposed edited video, a staff member accidentally showed a snippet of talent manager Ogie Diaz talking about Revillame and his recent “set aside politics” remark. Revillame then expressed dismay at the staff, saying he would receive criticisms from Diaz again due to the staff’s mistake.

“‘Yun ‘yung ni-edit. Hindi nila ipinakita ‘yung totoo… Ganyan talaga, wawasakin ka, sisirain ka ng kapwa mo.” (That’s what they edited. They did not show the truth. Well, that’s how it is. People will discredit and speak ill of you),” he said, after the edited clip was shown.

The longer version of the clip then showed the controversial host telling Roque who was laughing while alluding to ABS-CBN’s franchise loss, “Malaki ang utang na loob ko sa istasyon na ‘yon dahil do’n ako nagsimula, doon ako nakilala, nasa puso ko pa rin ‘yan (I owe a lot to the network because I started my career there. That is where I became known. They still have a place in my heart).”

The “Wowowin” host also noted that he was a “victim” of the incident, which also caused his recent misunderstanding with showbiz columnist Cristy Fermin.

READ: Willie Revillame warns vs clickbait amid resurfaced Harry Roque interview: ‘Di nila ipinakita ‘yung totoo’

Miles Ocampo’s transition to mature role

From child star to teeny bopper to mature roles, Miles Ocampo gained the attention of netizens after taking on the role of the young Marites Dimaguiba, which would eventually be portrayed by Cherry Pie Picache, in Coco Martin’s new teleserye “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo”.

Marites was raped by Ramon Montenegro, a gang leader who would sire Martin’s character, Tanggol Dimaguiba. The latter, however, threatened Marites after the sensitive sexual assault scene, saying that he would return to take back their child.

READ: Miles Ocampo says rape scene with Coco Martin in ‘Batang Quiapo’ was a chance to grow as an actress

Even if Ocampo’s appearance in the show was only brief, she said it was a welcome opportunity for her to grow as an actress and explore her depths in acting.

Martin earlier admitted that filming the rape scene with Ocampo made him feel awkward since he considers her as like his own daughter in real life.

The actor-filmmaker also noted that he made sure to seek Ocampo’s consent before bringing shooting the sensitive scene. EDV

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