Showbiz Roundup: Eat Bulaga’s Joey de Leon and Tito Sotto; Rica Peralejo, and more

(From left) Joey de Leon, Tito Sotto, Rica Peralejo, and Piolo Pascual. Images: FILE PHOTOS

Joey de Leon and Tito Sotto expressed their disdain towards rumors that “Eat Bulaga” will end due to alleged low profit with the former senator reminding its supporters not to pay attention to false reports.

On the other hand, Rica Peralejo admitted that she and Piolo Pascual “functioned” and acted like a couple, but they didn’t put a label on their relationship at the time.

Catching up on your weekly showbiz fix? Check out the biggest entertainment news of INQUIRER.net in the week of April 12 to 18.

Joey and Tito slam ‘Eat Bulaga’ cancellation

(From left) Joey de Leon and Tito Sotto. Images: Screengrab from YouTube/TVJ

Joey de Leon and Tito Sotto firmly dismissed speculations that “Eat Bulaga” will go off-air due to low profit, with de Leon challenging rumor mongers to look for a show that can last for 45 years.

De Leon and Sotto addressed the rumors during the “Gimme 5: Laro ng Mga Henyo” segment of the show’s April 17 episode, where the former senator called out certain “liars” for making rumors against the noontime show.

De Leon then accused the rumormongers of being “jealous” while challenging them to be named one of the “top five longest-running TV shows in the world,” without addressing anyone in particular.

“Bastusan na kasi ang labanan eh. Bastusan. Siraan. Walang kwenta. Mag-enjoy lang tayo. Umabot muna kayo ng 45 years, longest-running top five in the world. Mainggit kayo! Wala eh. Gan’un talaga. Kasama naman kayo. Dapat ‘to kasi buong Pilipinas ‘yung dala namin eh. Bakit kayo ganyan? Ang sasama ng ugali niyo,” he added.

To deny the rumors, Sotto promised to show a copy of the show’s income tax. “Para mapatunayan na sila ang sinungaling, bukas bibigyan natin ng kopya ang media ng file sa BIR ng ating income tax para makita nila.”

De Leon then agreed with the former politician, challenging a certain show to last for 15 years. “Ito ang hamon ko sa inyo. Umabot kayo ng 15 years para lumuhod ako sa harapan ninyo. 15 lang ah. By that time, para bumyahe na ako.”

There are speculations that “Eat Bulaga” would go off-air for good, including claims by entertainment insider and talent manager Ogie Diaz and Loi Villarama on Diaz’s vlog on April 16. There have also been reports on social media and by the Philippine Entertainment Portal about the noontime show’s allegedly low budget.

INQUIRER.net reached out to TVJ’s camp for a copy of the show’s income tax, but it has yet to release a copy as of press time.

Rica and Piolo’s ‘situationship’

Rica Peralejo and Piolo Pascual. Image: YouTube/GMA Network

Rica Peralejo opened up about her past involvement with Piolo Pascual, saying they had loved each other and “functioned like a couple” despite having no label on their romance.

The celebrity mom spoke about this after show host Boy Abunda asked during an interview for “Fast Talk” whether she had a relationship with the actor.

“Hindi ko nga alam, pero we existed and functioned like a couple talaga,” Peralejo said of her relationship with Pascual. She also said they “entertained” the possibilities of settling down, but it was a mere thought and it “never got to that point.”

“There were talks of like—’di naman diretso pero parang magse-settle down together, ganyan. Pero [it was] like any other couple, gano’n lang siya—na maiisip mo na pwedeng mangyari ito, pero he never naman promised,” she clarified.

“I never naman really said na I wanted this. It was just something that we entertained. It never got to that point and we never labeled our relationship, but it was very very good naman what we had together,” she added.

Peralejo noted that even she was clueless about what relationship they had, recalling how there were “hints” but that she didn’t assume.

Despite this, Peralejo underscored that she is on good terms with Pascual and that the past is no longer an issue for them. “I think it was very obvious that we liked each other, we loved each other, but we were like more friends really na we just like to be together a lot.”

“Parang may mga hints here and there na ganito… [But] I didn’t really ride on that whenever I would hear something and whenever I would feel something,” she told Abunda. “Parang sa akin, maybe there is a possibility but let’s see. Until it’s really there, I don’t consider it serious. ”

Pauleen brings ‘Baby Mochi’ to ‘EB’ set

(From left) Pauleen Luna, Allan K, and Tito Sotto. Images: Facebook/TVJ

Pauleen Luna-Sotto brought her second daughter Thia Marceline, nicknamed “Baby Mochi,” to the studio of “Eat Bulaga” for the first time.

Photos of Luna visiting “Eat Bulaga’s” studio were shared by its official Facebook page on, April 10, where she was seen cradling her newborn daughter while sitting in front of the audience. Baby Mochi was peacefully sleeping in her mother’s arms using sound-canceling earmuffs.

The celebrity mom was also joined by her eldest daughter Tali during the studio visit. In other photos, she posed with the hosts Allan K and Tito Sotto, her husband’s older brother.

“Mochi’s first time sa Eat Bulaga. Hi Mommy Poleng and Ate Tali,” its caption read.

The celebrity mom’s visit came weeks after she and her husband Vic Sotto welcomed Thia to the Christian world through a baptism ceremony. She welcomed Thia via Cesarean section on Jan. 23, although she opted to keep her baby away from the public eye.

Anjo gives up return to ‘Eat Bulaga’

Anjo Yllana | Screengrab from Ogie Diaz/YouTube

Despite openly expressing his desire to return to “Eat Bulaga,” Anjo Yllana said he is no longer expecting this to happen due to a policy set by its executives that those who have resigned from the show no longer have the chance to go back again.

In an interview with Ogie Diaz, the former host acknowledged the people who tend to criticize him every time he talks about returning to “Eat Bulaga,” saying that they are misinterpreting his statements.

“Syempre masaya ‘yung thought. Maisip mong babalik, diba? Ang dami na naman nagbash, ‘Wag, traydor ‘yan’ Pero sa totoo lang sa ‘Bulaga’ kasi, ito, may i-share lang ako, huwag naman sana mabash ulit. Sa ‘Eat Bulaga’ kasi once wala ka na doon, tinanggal ka or nag-resign ka, wala pa akong kilala na nakabalik kahit gusto nila bumalik. Ganon ang patakaran ng Eat Bulaga,” he shared.

Yllana said he is no longer expecting that he will have the chance to return to the longest-running noontime show, but won’t stop himself from missing the time he was hosting there.

Without naming anyone, Yllana shared that there are also some from the original hosts who attempted to go back but never gained ground.

In August 2020, Yllana resigned from “Eat Bulaga” after 21 years of being on the show. He then accepted a hosting job on Net 25’s “Happy Time,” which had a noon time slot.

Gabby to walk Andi Eigenmann down the aisle

Gabby Eigenmann, Philmar Alipayo and Andi Eigenmann. Image: Instagram/@gabbyeigenmann, @andieigengirl

Gabby Eigenmann disclosed that in place of their late father Mark Gil, he will walk his half-sister Andi Eigenmann down the aisle when she ties the knot with her fiancé Philmar Alipayo.

“Siyempre, ‘di ba, ngayon engaged sila? One way or another, anytime soon they’re gonna get married,” he said on the sidelines of “My Guardian Alien’s” mediacon. “Who’s gonna walk her down the aisle—ako ‘yun.”

Gabby, who had been by Andi’s side during the wake of her mom Jaclyn Jose, also spoke about the support she continuously receives from Alipayo as well as actor Jake Ejercito, her ex-boyfriend and the father of her eldest child Ellie.

“Okay sila [Philmar at Jake]. You know, they both respect each other,” Gabby said. “Nakakatuwa nga and I’m very, very grateful of course sa family ni Jake, who’s been supportive [in] the whole process of—basta, kasi hindi namin alam [ang] gagawin, to be honest.”

Gabby added that Alipayo and Ejercito greeted each other during the wake and that no problem arose between the two. Gabby also clarified that he’s not siding with any of the two, commending both fathers for being present for Andi and her children.

Employees’ complaint against TAPE dismissed

Image: TAPE Inc.

The labor complaint filed against TAPE Inc. by its employees who left with Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon (TVJ) in May 2023 was dismissed, which legal counsel Maggie Abraham-Garduque hopes is a “prelude” to the disclosure of the “truth.”

Nine employees—including a utility staff, talent coordinator, VTR playback assistant, researcher, lighting director, and cameramen of “Eat Bulaga”—lodged before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) in August 2023 a complaint “for regularization, non-payment of overtime pay, holiday pay, holiday premium, 13th-month pay, and nightshift differential, damages, attorney’s fees and other causes of action, i.e., non-payment of special project, unexplainable deductions.”

“The record of the case is bereft of any showing that complainants were dismissed, but they instead resigned from respondent company. There is no evidence more glaring and conclusive than the resignation letters written and submitted by complainants themselves,” a part of the decision dated March 27, 2024, read.

“The totality of the evidence presented indubitably shows that complainants resigned from their employment without any coercion or compulsion from respondents,” it continued.

The complainants’ claims for separation fees and attorney’s fees and damages were denied for “having no legal grounds to justify said award complainant having effectively resigned from respondent company.” It added that “there is no provision in the Labor Code that grants separation pay to voluntarily resigning employees.”

“As for the claim for overtime pay, complainants failed to adduce evidence that they rendered actual overtime work which would entitle them to overtime pay. Likewise, for lack of proof of rendition of work during holidays and rendition of work during night time which would entitle them to salary differentials, the same must be dismissed.”

No motion for reconsideration of this decision will be entertained, the decision added.

After receiving the decision on Friday, April 12, Abraham-Garduque underscored that TAPE has been “for the employees” ever since.

“TAPE felt vindicated. From the start tape is for the employees,” she said in a statement sent to INQUIRER.net. “That was the reason why they continued to air ‘Eat Bulaga’ sans TVJ and other key employees who went with them for their new show at TV5.”

“TAPE thought of the 200 employees left who will have no work if they did not continue with the show,” she continued. “This is a prelude, I hope the truth will start to come out.”