Enough of the ugly Barretto clan squabble

A SCREEN SHOT of the Barretto sisters— Claudine, Gretchen and Marjorie— in good times

The Barretto sisters are at it again. Behind the beauty of Gretchen and Claudine’s faces  lies so many ugly family secrets which have now become public knowledge through the exposé of their mom and siblings. But can’t we be spared of the  gory details?

Enough is enough. They should settle matters as a family behind closed doors. Although Pinoys  have a penchant for show biz  scandals, there’s also a point of saturation. Sad when the domestic front turns into a battle front. When you wash dirty linen in public, where do you hang your tears out to dry? Greta and Claud have everything money can buy. It’s about time they ransack through their Hermes, Dior, Chanel, Prada bags and unearth  the Barretto in them. No amount of designer labels could ever replace the value of a family name and everything it stands for.

Amalia’s comeback

It was such a delight to chat with my second mom, Mama Nena (Amalia Fuentes) on the phone. She was raving about how touched she was when GMA 7’s top honcho, Atty. Felipe L. Gozon approached her during the celebration of Kuya Germs’ 50th show biz anniversary at the Resorts World Manila.

“We were never introduced formally so I was surprised when he came up to me and said that we used to be schoolmates at Philippine Christian University and I am one of his favorite actresses of all time. I remember having read in one of his magazine interviews that his admiration for me and my work was one of the reasons he ventured into show biz. For someone of his stature to give me such credit is so heartwarming. I salute him for not losing sight of his roots.”

AMALIA Fuentes makes TV comeback with old rival.

It certainly takes an icon to know one.

She also shared with us the good news that she would be back on TV soon via a teleserye in ABS-CBN with former rival Susan Roces. “It will be sort of a TV comeback of two movie queens. Our last movie together was ‘Cover Girls’  with Fernando Poe Jr.,” she gushed. “We still have to discuss the billing, though (laughs). But if it will be based on seniority,  I played a lead role before Susan did during our Sampaguita days. I was only 16 when I top-billed ‘Movie Fan.’”

She also revealed that her ex-love/screen partner, Romeo Vasquez, was first tapped to play their leading man on the show but he begged off because he couldn’t leave his sister who was critically ill in the United States. So the role went to Dante Rivero instead.

What made her accept the offer? “It was too good to refuse,” she said. “A little more money could not hurt anybody.  Besides, I felt a bit envious of my contemporaries like Susan who are still visible on TV. But for me, it would be a one time, big time thing.  I don’t  want to spread myself too thin.”

The movie queen in Mama Nena can never be dethroned. As she rekindles her love affair with the camera, her adoring public will find new reasons to love her even more.

Hayden’s aces

Hayden Kho enjoyed his role as a bodyguard to Lovi Poe’s character in “The Bride and the Lover” (opens May 1). Based on the movie’s title, does he believe that for a bride to become a good wife, she should know how to be a good mistress/lover?

“To each his/her own,” he mused. “Some people will like it. Some people like me, won’t. Right or wrong, I won’t be the judge of that.”

Is he now joining show biz  full time? “Nope. I’m just checking to see what else is in it for me and gather life lessons as I go along,” he explained. “No attachment. I deal with the cards handed to me the best way I can.”

With the way Hayden has reshuffled his life, he still has a lot of aces up his sleeve.

Charity bazaar

Christine Bersola-Babao invites fellow entrePinoys to join her annual charity bazaar, “The Summer Bazaar” at the Filinvest Tent in Alabang from May 23 to 26. It will be for the benefit of Alagang Kapatid Foundation. To join, call 9310852 or e-mail [email protected].

Bazaaristas unite!

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PERSONAL: Congrats to Nicholas Danielle Vidal for graduating valedictorian and for being DOST-SEI Merit Scholarship Awardee. Mighty proud of you, Nico!