Showbiz Roundup: JK Labajo’s concert snafu, Kathryn Bernardo’s party

JK Labajo was praised by netizens after he expressed his dismay to a couple who brought their seven-month-old baby to his concert, as he pointed out the potential harm of blasting music to the baby’s hearing.

On the other hand, a radiant Kathryn Bernardo had an unforgettable birthday celebration in Palawan with her close friends and loved ones including Jericho Rosales, Alden Richards, Alora Sasam and Kakai Bautista, among others.

Catch up with the latest showbiz news as we give you the biggest entertainment reports of INQUIRER.net in the week covering March 22 to 28.

JK Labajo and his 7-month-old baby fan

JK Labajo was concerned about a baby who was brought by her parents to his concert, saying “babies under one year old are sensitive to loud noises.”

In a Facebook video posted by one LifeofEs, Labajo stopped in the middle of his performance and was seen talking to the parent in the audience, asking him why the baby was there.

“Two months? Ba’t mo pinaparinig ng ‘Ere’ ‘yung bata. Two months pa lang, maaga, huwag. Wala bang earmuffs si baby? Umiiyak na si baby okay lang ba ‘yan?” he said, referring to the title of his hit song. Some of the lyrics in the track include profanity which is inappropriate for young audiences.

Labajo then kept asking the staff if they could provide earplugs for the baby. “Sino ba mayroong headphones jan or something, kawawa ‘yung bata.”

In a different clip, the singer-actor was seemingly worried as he cradled the baby while talking to a guy at his side who appeared to be one of the staff. After comforting the crying baby, Labajo reminded the audience, especially parents, that children under one have sensitive ears.

“Yung mga bata, especially one year below super sensitive pa yung mga tenga nila… Maraming salamat sa suporta, but please alagaan niyo si baby,” he said.

Two days after the video went viral, a woman who identified herself as the mother reached out to several media outlets including INQUIRER.net to clarify that her baby was already seven months old, contrary to the general assumption of netizens that the baby was just two months old after Labajo was captured in the video saying the words, “Two months?”

The woman claimed some parts of the video were spliced, which “blew everything out of proportion,” hence it didn’t supposedly show their full interaction with the singer. She added that they have a full video of the scenario, which they chose not to upload.

Without admitting any liability for their action, the mother admitted they were hurt as they were being bashed on social media. She, however, hoped they were given the “benefit of the doubt.”

The parents weren’t shown in some of the videos that were shared by netizens, as the main focus was on Labajo, who was deeply concerned by the presence of the baby at his concert, and the potential harm of the blasting music to the infant.

Kathryn’s 28th birthday party in Palawan

Kathryn Bernardo celebrated her 28th birthday soaking up the sun in El Nido in Palawan alongside her loved ones and celebrity friends including Jericho Rosales, Alden Richards, Alora Sasam, and Dominic Roque.

Moments from Bernardo’s special day were shared by Filipino designer Mark Bumgarner and his creative director Earl Semitara through their respective Instagram Stories on March 26.

Bernardo and her guests enjoyed each other’s company at a yacht while having drinks. Some other celebrity friends present were her “Hello, Love, Goodbye” co-stars Maymay Entrata, Kakai Bautista and Lovely Abella.

Rambo Nuñez also joined in the fun, although his actress wife Maja Salvador was not with him. Joshua Garcia’s rumored girlfriend, Filipino-French athlete Emilienne Vigier, was also in the event.

Among the highlights of Bernardo’s party were Rosales performing a rendition of Eraserheads’ “Ang Huling El Bimbo” and Richards and Bautista serenading the birthday girl with “Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang.”

Zanjoe and Ria tie the knot

More than a month after announcing their engagement, Zanjoe Marudo and Ria Atayde tied the knot in a private ceremony witnessed by their loved ones on March 23—which also happened to be Atayde’s birthday.

Marudo announced the intimate affair on Instagram, calling Atayde his “wife” following an intimate wedding in an undisclosed location.

The actress looked radiant in her elegant off-shoulder gown with bell sleeves, holding a simple bouquet, while Marudo looked dapper in his simple black tux. In another photo, the couple were all smiles while a confetti of petals surrounded them.

“03.23.24. Happy birthday my wife,” he said in the caption, where the date apparently referred to their wedding date.

The couple exchanged “I dos” in a civil ceremony in Quezon City, officiated by Mayor Joy Belmonte, per an exclusive report by entertainment journalist MJ Felipe on his X (formerly Twitter) page.

Marudo’s surprise wedding announcement came after their engagement was confirmed by Atayde   last Feb. 20 and later by the actor in a separate post.

The couple’s relationship was confirmed by Atayde’s mother, screen veteran Sylvia Sanchez, in an October 2022 interview with broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez. Sanchez also pointed out that she’s supportive of the actor as her daughter’s partner.

Dingdong now a Naval Combat Engineering Officer

Marine reservist Dingdong Dantes added another feather to his cap after he graduated as part of the Naval Combat Engineer Officer Basic Course Class 07-23.

The “Rewind” actor showed moments from when he received his certificate of completion at the Brigade Training and Doctrine Center, Naval Combat Engineering Brigade Naval Station Jose Francisco, in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, through his Instagram page on March 25.

He also narrated how his children Zia and Sixto were surprised upon knowing he would “graduate.” “‘What? You will graduate? Are you a student?’” he quoted Zia as saying. “I just smiled and answered that, yes, even old people can still study and finish anything as long as they want to, because learning should never stop.”

“As a reservist, it is a privilege to be given these opportunities to acquire new skills which can definitely enhance many aspects of my life as a professional, father, and husband,” he continued.

Dantes also expressed his appreciation for his wife, actress Marian Rivera, who attended the ceremony as an honorary guest.

The actor enlisted as a reservist for the Philippine Marine Reserve Force in 2006, and then formally became a marine reservist in 2009. He renewed his enlistment in 2017.

Kim and Jerald slam vulgar basher

Kim Molina did not hold herself back as she responded to a netizen who left an inappropriate comment on her post that described her actor boyfriend Jerald Napoles as “mukhang kargador (or dock worker).”

The netizen, whose name Molina opted not to show, asked a vulgar question about the couple, as seen on a screenshot on her Facebook page on March 20.

In response, Molina wrote, “Una sa lahat, BASTOS KA. Alam kong fake account ‘yan na malamang ginagamit mo lang para mambash at makapagcomment dahil hindi mo kayang gawin gamit ang totoong pangalan mo. Takot ka rin kasi kaya nagtatago ka dyan. What a sad life you have.”

Molina added that Napoles was a porter before he joined show biz, and that it’s something she’s proud of.

“Proud ako sa lahat ng pinagdaanan ni Je (Napoles) kaya hindi ko gets bakit parang may halong mali ang term na ‘yan sa iba,” she said. “Ano ba problema niyo sa pagiging ‘kargador’ eh sa totoo lang, people who do hands-on labor work are people we should acknowledge sa hirap ng ginagawa nila araw araw.”

Meanwhile, Napoles came to the defense of Molina in a Facebook post on March 24, where he explained that his girlfriend was provoked not by the reference to the actor looking like someone doing manual labor, but by the vulgar and inappropriate terms used by the netizen, with a clear intention to shame them.

The actor-comedian further said there were some “misleading articles” written about his girlfriend which prompted him to clarify where Molina was coming from.

Miles rekindling relationship with Elijah

Miles Ocampo revealed that she and her ex-boyfriend Elijah Canlas are trying to rekindle their relationship. In a News5 interview on the sidelines of the “Padyak Princess” story conference, she teased the possibility of rekindling her romance with him.

“Let’s see. We’re working on it,” she said smilingly when asked if she and the “Gomburza” actor were together again.

The young couple first sparked reconciliation rumors after they were recently spotted getting cozy during Maine Mendoza’s birthday party this month.

In a previous interview with Karen Davilla in January, Ocampo said she would always have love and respect for the actor.

Meanwhile, in a separate interview with MJ Felipe, Canlas clarified that he and Ocampo were friends and if they got back together, the reporter would be the first to know.

In November, the “Senior High” actor confirmed that he and Ocampo had broken up but affirmed that he would always be there for the actress.

Niña addresses viral video over stinky mic

Actress-turned-politician Niña Jose-Quiambao found herself in a sticky situation after she was caught in a now-viral video raising a stink over a foul-smelling microphone that she was using during a speech in her hometown in Bayambang, Pangasinan, recently.

In the video, Quiambao was shown to have stopped in mid-speech to order a staff member to replace the microphone she was about to use as she was disturbed by its stench.

“Can we change the mic? There’s bad breath here. Sorry, mabaho talaga ang mic,” she said. “Sorry, I can’t! Mabaho. It’s amoy maasim. Sorry. I don’t wanna have halitosis, you know?”

After receiving flak on social media, the Bayambang mayor claimed that the video was “maliciously edited” to tarnish her reputation.

On her Facebook page Sunday, Quiambao clarified that there was no intention on her part to “malign or embarrass” anyone. She also uploaded the full video of the incident to clear her side.

“Ang microphone ay hindi ginamit ng sinuman bago ko gamitin bagkus ito ay naitago ng matagal kaya marahil nag-cause ng hindi magandang amoy. Hindi ko iyon nasabi to malign or magpahiya ng tao,” she said.

Citing her “close friends [and] LGU family,” Jose then stressed that she’s known for putting out “weird statements” while saying that if ever there’s a need to apologize, she would rather say sorry to the microphone. “If ever I have to apologize, I will apologize to the microphone because nasabi kong mabaho na ito,” she said.

Quiambao also reminded her constituents to not judge others for their mistakes, and instead look at themselves rather than focusing on dragging other people down.