Claudine Barretto is not going back to ABS-CBN, or anywhere

Claudine Barretto . INQUIRER file photo

The career of controversial actress Claudine Barretto remains in the doldrums as she waits for a definite, long-term contract from any one of the main TV networks.

Claudine’s guesting in a coming episode of TV5’s weekly docu-drama, “Untold Stories,” is just a one-time thing, according to a network official.

“There are no talks about future projects yet—nothing long-term,” Perci Intalan, head of creative and entertainment production, told the Inquirer.

An ABS-CBN source, asked about rumors that the actress might return to her home studio for 17 years, likewise said the Kapamilya network had no knowledge of Claudine’s career plans.

“It isn’t true that she’s rejoining us,” the source said, but confirmed that Claudine had “sent feelers.”

Claudine’s two-year contract with GMA 7 expired last year. Her last major project with the Kapuso network was the fantasy series “Iglot,” which she top-billed with Jolina Magdangal.

On Aug. 11, TV5 production unit manager JoAnn Bañaga posted on her Twitter account that Claudine was taping an episode for “Untold Stories.” TV5 corporate communications confirmed the report.

Expectedly, this fueled speculation about Claudine transferring to the Kapatid network. But it elicited an adverse reaction from one of the brothers of Ramon Tulfo, who figured in an airport brawl with Claudine and husband Raymart Santiago in May.

Down and out?

On his Radyo Singko 92.3 program, “Wanted sa Radyo,” on Wednesday, TV5 talent Raffy Tulfo said in Filipino: “What happened was that Claudine, after she was rejected by GMA 7 and ABS-CBN, had nowhere to go. She’s down and out. Now, Perci Intalan wants to give her career a lift so he went to Vic del Rosario.”

Claudine is currently managed by Del Rosario.

Just maybe

Tulfo added that entertainment columnist and TV5 program host Cristy Fermin told him that, indeed, Claudine was on her way to becoming a Kapatid.

Intalan clarified: “We don’t want to make or break anybody. There was a role suited for Claudine, so we got her for the episode.”

He said the idea of casting Claudine in “Untold” came up a few days after the 33-year-old actress attended TV5’s special necrological services for Dolphy on July 12.

Asked if they might consider signing up Claudine as a contract star later, if not now, Intalan said: “You’ll never know.”