Source: By Gerry Plaza, Special to Yahoo! Southeast Asia
It’s always been a given that political mudslinging reaches its peak once the election season reaches the homestretch.
Apparently this season’s mudslinging has not fully reared its ugly head on the campaign pulpit. But surprisingly, this has unexpectedly “erupted” through a venue not even the least likely the prime medium for campaign slogans and platforms: the ever-popular weekly show biz talk shows.
On Sunday, March 7, Kris Aquino, well might have wished she could have talked less. On that day’s episode of ABS-CBN’s “The Buzz,” Kris, co-hosts Boy Abunda and Ruffa Gutierrez were routinely discussing the week’s biggest “showbiz controversies” on the show’s “P.O.V.” segment. Towards the end of their always lively and somewhat hot-under-the-collar tête-à-tête, Kris made one of her always off-the-cuff, sometimes seen as careless, remarks. She uttered what seemed to be the last thing co-host Ruffa would want to hear.
Kris said: “Ruffa, aminin mo, ibang level ang saya dito (sa ABS-CBN) (Ruffa, admit it, the level of happiness is different here (in ABS-CBN).”
Let’s put that statement into context. Kris was obviously referring to Ruffa’s impending transfer to TV5, to co-host “Paparazzi,” a show biz-oriented talk show with Mo Twister (a co-host on ‘The Buzz’s’ rival ‘Showbiz Central’ on GMA 7) which will air on the same time slot as her current show. And Kris’s statement apparently was a somewhat half-quip, half-lunge brickbat aimed at Ruffa’s transfer, seen by many ABS-CBN insiders as a blindside to a show that seen as having “resurrected” her show biz career coming out from that ugly separation from ex-husband Yilmaz Bektas.
Realizing this Ruffa answered back: "Well, I know, you don't have to rub it in, Kris. Siyempre, I'm sad din, so sana huwag mo namang, you know, dagdagan (Of course, I’m also sad so you should not have, you know, added to it)."
Minutes after, as the show was going into commercial, Ruffa was seen to have hurriedly left the set in tears. Her crying had carried over to the dressing room and the studio’s exit, where it seemed she would see the last of ABS-CBN for a long time.
Episode 1 done. Finished. Seemingly just another show biz controversy taking its course for a flurry of entertainment reporters to write about in their news pages, columns, and web sites (like this one). But Episode 2 suddenly exploded right on the hapless Sunday afternoon viewers’ faces. Even the best political strategist could not have seen this coming.
Quite startlingly, Ruffa’s ever feisty mother Annabelle Rama suddenly appeared on “Showbiz Central.” As if it was on cue, Annabelle went on a rampage.
Asked the whereabouts of Ruffa after her “walkout,” Annabelle said: “Pinapauwi ko na siya...dahil hindi ko na ma-take na every Sunday ay binabara siya lagi ni Kris, okay? Kaya lagi kami nag aaway ni Ruffa. Sabi ko, 'Bakit hindi ka lumalaban kay Kris? Sino ba siya? (I made her come home because I could not take that Kris always rebuffs her every Sunday. That’s why I always argue with Ruffa. I say, “Why don’t you fight back? Who is she anyway?)”
Well, the statement seems ordinary for someone like Annabelle. Whoever crosses the path of any of her children, they should expect the worst—whether one is a magazine editor, a production assistant, a studio network executive, and yes, even someone like Kris Aquino. But what she said next was nothing less of bewildering and flabbergasting, as this type of suspended political logic goes beyond valid, much less rational thought.
“Hindi maganda ginagawa ni Kris kay Ruffa, e. Hindi pa nga nananalo si Noynoy [Aquino, kapatid ni Kris] as presidente, e, ang yabang-yabang na niya! What more kung nanalo pa si Noynoy? E, di kawawa lahat ng artista, lalong-lalo na 'yong mga maliliit na nag-uumpisa pa lang. Hindi magtatagal. Si Ruffa every Sunday binabara niya. Ano, naiinggit ba siya kay Ruffa? (What Kris is doing to Ruffa is not good. Noynoy (Aquino, Kris’ brother) has not even won the presidency, she’s already so arrogant. What more if Noynoy wins? Pity our artists, especially those who are just starting in the industry. That won’t last long. She rebuffs Ruffa every Sunday. Is she envious of Ruffa?)"
What started out as a showbiz catfight was elevated to a political discussion by Anabelle. She now said that with Kris’ one-liner, all of showbiz should fear a possible Noynoy Aquino presidency. To imply that Noynoy Aquino’s credibility is wanting from a statement made by a family member’s remark in an arena completely separate from politics, is downright unfair.
If the Commission on Elections bans artists from campaigning for candidates, shouldn’t they also ban artists from using the air to directly attack a candidate without any basis? That’s a valid assertion.
Annabelle may be right to say that Kris said something hurtful to her, Ruffa, and the Gutierrez family, but saying to say that the remark could hurt the entertainment industry, or the People of the Philippines in general, is hogwash. If one were to say anything against any member of her family, does it follow that that remark goes against the ideals and safeguards of this republic? Asking around, I learned that a lot of people, had they been Ruffa, would not take that remark from Kris as being particularly offensive.
From the looks of it, it was an overreaction. Though I respect the fact that there may be more to the story behind the scenes, Ruffa should have approached the situation in a different way. Moreover, the mother should not have even reacted, much less drag an innocent person into a mess he was not even part of. As Annabelle even mentioned, “inggitan (envy), barahan (rebuffing),” what can Noynoy do?
If we’re to follow Annabelle’s logic in determining the next country’s president, Noynoy, if elected, should first sign his Executive Order No. 1: An Order to Stop “Inggitan” and “Barahan” in Show Biz, directed at his sister. Then the entertainment industry will be prosperous and at peace.
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