Publicity works, good or bad. Annabelle Rama and Ruffa had been very pretty quiet after the Yilmaz affair. Ruffa received movie offers and the co-hosting assignment in the The Buzz.
The movie with the mother Annabelle Rama is going to be due soon and they need a gimmick. Is Lolit Solis, a conspirator? Is Lani Mercado a victim in this feud between Ruffa and Lani?
You do not want to mess with talent manager and Gutierrez matriarch Annabelle Rama.
Several years ago, when news first broke out about possible ties to organized crime by Yilmaz Bektas (this was during a time when Yilmaz was still in the good graces of Annabelle Rama, talent manager and mother of the former's then wife Ruffa Gutierrez), a joke went around a small circle of writers--said joke was directed at journalist, poet and now singer Pete Lacaba.
Pete, who was the magazine editor who helped break the story about Yilmaz supposed organized crime connections, received ribbing from at least one of those writers that went this way: "Pete, if you escaped the clutches of Ferdinand Marcos during the Martial Law years, you won't get away so easily from Annabelle Rama. Watch your back."
Of course, Pete, who had his share of activism and imprisonment during the Marcos dictatorship, only laughed off such remarks.
However, after Annabelle Rama's Sunday interview over The Buzz with host Boy Abunda, we can only wonder if Pete is sweating... even just a little bit.
Not fighting?
Believe it or not, Annabelle kept on saying throughout the interview that she wasn't in fighting mode. Then she proceeded to launch waves of verbal shock and awe onto Lani Mercado (actress and wife of Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr.), entertainment writer and "Umagang Kay Ganda" host Ogie Diaz and longtime friend and nemesis-of-the-moment Lolit Solis.
During lulls when the artillery smoke cleared, Annabelle would remind the audience that she's just explaining why she challenged Lolit to a fistfight a few days ago. It was a challenge that inspired visions of an Ultimate Fighting Championship-style of cage match between the two showbiz titans in the minds of the entertainment press. Even columnist Ricky Lo compared the brewing tensions to something tha required United Nations intervention.
According to Annabelle, the entire controversy should not have happened if only the camp of Lani and Lolit kept quiet about an alleged snubbing incident between Lani and Ruffa, during the birthday party of TV executive Wilma Galvante.
Annabelle supporter her daughter's story that she (Ruffa) was snubbed by Lani. Ruffa had come up to Lani to try and buss the latter on the cheek. As attested to by Ruffa and some showbiz reporters, Lani turned away, leaving Ruffa kissing the air.
The incident naturally made its way into the tabloids, first as a blind item and later identifying Ruffa and Lani as the ones involved. This alleged snub had notable significance for the entertainment press, which still remembers the rumors that spread many years ago--when Ruffa was only 15 years old--that Ruffa and Bong (at the time already married to Lani) had an affair.
In subsequent interviews, Lani already apologized to Ruffa publicly, explaining that she was simply in a hurry and "did not notice" the statuesque Ruffa, who is a former Miss World beauty pageant winner.
Annabelle told The Buzz host on Sunday however that she already sensed trouble brewing when she saw Ruffa approach Lani at Galvante's birthday bash.
"Alam ko na yon that night may gulo eh. Kasi kitang-kita ko si Lani tumalikod kay Ruffa. Sabi ko kay Ruffa that night pa lang 'Ruffa, wag ka nang mag-comment kasi baka
lumaki ang issue, okay? Yung kalaban mo walang career baka gagamitin ka niyan.
"Ang nangyari may mga press palang nakakita. Ang press ang nag-headline nagsusulat ng blind item. Pinick-up naman ng The Buzz at Ruffa has to answer here in The Buzz. Kaya doon nag-umpisa ang issue."
(I knew from that night there would be trouble. I saw clearly how Lani turned away from Ruffa. I told Ruffa afterwards not to make any comment that would make an issue out of what happened. But it turned out that the press saw what happened. They picked it up and published it. The Buzz also picked it up and Ruffa had to respond to it. That's how this whole thing started.)
'Lolit lied to me'
Annabelle said that she would not have been so angry at Lolit if the latter did not break an agreement they had over the phone. Annabelle said that she asked Lolit not to talk about the issue anymore and allow it to die down.
Annabelle said that Lolit, who manages the showbiz careers of both Lani and Bong, agreed not to speak a word about the incident anymore.
However, the next day, Ruffa came to Annabelle crying about some things Lolit said on the radio and wrote about in the papers. Annabelle said that she at first told Ruffa to ignore whatever Lolit was saying.
"The next day si Ruffa umiiyak sa akin, 'napakasama naman ng sinabi ni Lolit sa akin, below the belt'. Ruffa, ayoko makipag-away this time, wag ka na magbasa ng diyaryo para hindi maging bad mood ka.
"Iyak siya ng iyak sa akin tapos binasa ko ang sama-sama. Ang isyu ni Lolit hindi nakatutok dun sa isyu na isnaban. Ang isyung ginagawa niya puro Bong at puro Lani. Pabalik-balik sinasabi niya sa interview niya legal wife."
(Ruffa came to me crying about Lolit's "below the belt" comments on the radio and in her column. I told Ruffa that I didn't want a fight and I told her not to read the papers anymore so she won't get in a funk. She kept on crying so finally I read the paper. It was terrible. Lolit didn't talk about the snubbing incident at all. She kept on talking all about Bong and Lani, and kept harping on Lani being the legal wife.)
According to Annabelle, she simply couldn't let Lolit get away with what she wrote. In Annabelle's view, Lolit implied that Ruffa really had the hots for Bong, suggesting that the rumored affair was true.
Annabelle also slammed Lolit for implying that Ruffa was one of the many women who went gaga over Bong's, um, substantial manly attribute. This, Annabelle said, was what prompted her to challenge Lolit to a fistfight.
"Hindi ako pumunta dito, Boy, para makipag-away. Never ako nag-umpisa ng away... pag ang aking anak binibira nang hindi na tama talagang lumalaban ako... basta anak na ang pinag-uusapan. Ako mabait akong tao, mabait ako, disente paminsan-minsan.
"Pag ako kinakanti, bastos ang bunganga ko, bastos ako magsalita at ayaw ko yung puro dada. Gusto ko suntukan, sabunutan. Ikaw nag-umpisa ako ang tatapos. Bakit napunta doon ang issue? Si Ruffa hindi naglalaway kay Bong!"
(I did not come over to this show, Boy, to fight. I never start fights...but if my children are attacked unfairly I really fight... for my children's sake. I'm a nice person. I can be a decent person sometimes. But if you piss me off, I say rude, terrible things. Why did the issue go from a simple snub to an issue between Ruffa, Lani and Bong? Ruffa is not drooling over Bong!)
'Judas tears'
Annabelle had more than an earful of unsolicited advice to Lani Mercado. She said that if only Lani had said even a grudging "hello" to Ruffa, the entire controversy would not have happened.
"Asawa ka ng isang politician, okay? Sikat na artista. Hindi ka dapat nag-supladita 'day. Napaka-supladita mo. Ano ba naman yung mag 'Hi' ka kay Ruffa? Maski ang 'Hi'
mo lalabas sa ilong mo okay na rin yon at least nag-'Hi' ka. Okay? Hindi yung napaka-suplada mo 'day, hindi ko alam kung bakit.
"Ba't ka ba galit kay Ruffa, inggit ka kay Ruffa? Wag kang mainggit kay Ruffa 'day. Kasi ang alam ko lahat ng mga asawa ng politician mababait. 'Hi' nang 'hi' sa lahat ng tao, kailangan mo ng boto siyempre, 'Hi' ka ng 'hi' 'di ba? Maski hindi mo kaibigan."
(Lani, you're the wife of a politician and a famous actor. You shouldn't be so snobbish. Was it so hard to say "Hi" to Ruffa, even if you didn't completely mean it? Why are you angre at Ruffa? Are you envious? You shouldn't be. From what I know, politicians wives are very gracious and accomodating. They keep saying 'hi' to people to win them over. After all, you need votes. So you keep saying 'hi' even to those who aren't your friends.)
Annabelle than denied that Ruffa is even remotely interested in Bong.
"Lani walang nang-aagaw sa yo 'day. Kung si Ruffa ang aasahan mo na aagaw sa asawa mo nagkakamali ka. Maski wala si Yilmaz sa buhay ni Ruffa ngayon wala syang panahon agawin ang asawa mo. Iyong-iyo na, isaksak mo sa baga mo kung gusto mo."
(Lani no one is stealing your husband from you. If you think Ruffa will do that, you're mistaken. Even if Yilmaz isn't in Ruffa's life she has no time for your husband. Your husband is all yours, stick him down your lungs if you want.)
She also gave Lani a tip on how to behave properly to keep her man in line:
"Hindi ako salbahe, Boy. Kasi kung ako salbahe matagal na wala sa akin ang asawa ko. Kaya ikaw, Lani, para ang asawa mo bumait sa iyo, at wala kang kalaban, wala kang kaaway, magpakabait ka. Kaya alagaan mo ang asawa mo para hindi siya mangangaliwa. Ganun ginawa ko sa asawa ko eh.
"Lani, I'm sorry hindi ako ang nagpapalaki sa issue. Ikaw ang nagpapalaki sa issue atsaka ang manager mo. Kasi kung marunong ka tinawagan mo si Lolit pinapahinto mo ang bunganga ng manager mo. Ang ginawa mo parang kinukunsinti mo pa si Lolit. Hindi mo siya pinapatigil eh, ako pinapatigil mo.
(I'm not a bad person, Boy. If I were my husband would have left me long ago. So you, Lani, so that your husband becomes nice to you and you don't earn enemies, you should be nice. You should take care of your husband so he doesn't fool around. That's what i do with my husband.)
Annabelle also demanded a more sincere apology from Lani. "Yung pag sabi mong sorry mo sa akin, kay Ruffa hindi sincere. Hindi galing sa puso. Yung iyak niya iyak ni Hudas yon, nakita ko eh."
(You're apology to me and Ruffa on TV wasn't sincere. It didn't come from your heart. I saw it on TV, you were crying like Judas.)
We've all heard about "crocodile tears", but Annabelle seems to have added a new idiom to the English language with "Judas tears".
Truce, betrayal
It's not easy for someone like Lolit Solis to back down. This is evident in her response to actors Sam Milby and Piolo Pascual, who filed a P12-million libel case against her, allegedly for writing in her column that they are gay lovers.
When it comes to Annabelle, however, Lolit seems to have softened and practically waved a white flag already.
"Si Ruffa talaga ang tingin ko parang anak ko eh, nakita ko syang lumaki, nag-asawa, nagkaron ng anak, nahiwalay sa asawa, parang talagang she grew up sa mata ko, kaya mahal na mahal ko si Ruffa.
"Ayaw ko makipag-away kay Annabelle, hindi dahil natatakot ako sa kanya, hindi dahil ayokong ano, wala akong iiwanang laban. Kung kailangan kong makipag-away
makikipag-away ako pero ayokong makipag-away sa kanya dahil tinitingnan ko pa rin yung 30 years na naging friendship namin," Lolit told the press.
(Ruffa is like a daughter to me. I love her so much. I don't want to fight Annabelle. I'm not afraid of her and I never run from a fight. I fight when I have to but I don't want to fight her because I value our 30 years of friendship.)
Lolit maintains that even if she talked about the women rumored to be involved with Bong, she never pointed the finger at Ruffa as one of Bong's women.
From Annabelle's remarks, however, she seems to be more hurt and angry because of a perceived betrayal of her by Lolit.
"Ang ayaw ko lang kay Lolit kaya nagalit ako sa kanya, Boy, kasi tinawagan ko siya eh. Lolit, sabi ko, nakiusap sa akin si Bong. Kung pwede lang wag na kayong kumibo at hindi na ako kikibo. Kasi ang balita ko titirahin mo raw si Ruffa sa Startalk punto by punto. Ano bang ginawa ng anak ko sa iyo?
"Tama na ito, nakiusap sa akin si Bong. Tama na wala na tayong sasabihin sa press, tahimik ka, tahimik ako. Para akong tinatraydor ni Lolit. The next day putak siya ng putak sa radyo atsaka sa dyaryo. Ang sasama pa ng sinasabi tungkol kay Ruffa. Ang isyu lang isnaban bakit napunta doon sa mga personal ni Bong?"
(What I didn't like was that Lolit went back on her word. I told her that I'm willing to shut up out of sympathy for Bong, who appealed to me not to make this a big issue. I told her to keep quiet and I'll keep quiet. That's because I heard that she planned a tirade against Ruffa on her show Startalk. What did my daughter ever do to her? It's like she betrayed me. The next day she kept blabbing on the radio saying terrible things about Ruffa. The issue was the snub so how did it get to Bong's personal affairs?)
That, according to Annabelle, was the last straw. She couldn't believe that Lolit, a friend for 30 years, would turn against her and her daughter. She called up Lolit and went ballistic.
"Pinagmumura ko na siya. Wala kang kwentang kausap. Nagsinungaling ka pa sa akin sabi mo hindi ka na kikibo. Nung nabasa ko ang dyaryo at narinig ko siya sa radyo, sabi ko, nakalimutan yata ni Lolit na ang nanay ni Ruffa ay ako. Kasi parang binabale-wala niya ang friendship namin. Mas kinampihan pa niya si Lani."
(I cursed her to high heavens. I called her a liar. I kept thinking that Lolit completely forgot that I'm Ruffa's mother. It's like she threw our friendship away and chose to side with Lani over me.)
Apologies given, demanded
After having vented a lot of her anger, Annabelle turned apologetic.
"Eto si Bong, naawa ako kay Bong. Bong I'm very, very sorry sa mga salitang nabitawan ko tungkol sa yo kasi hindi pwedeng hindi kita ma-involve... kasi yung manager
mo laging binabanggit ang pangalan mo sa issue."
(I'm really sorry for Bong. Bong I'm very, very sorry for the things I said about you but I can't help but get you involved... that's because your manager keeps dragging your name into the issue.)
Then Annabelle's mood changed, as though remembering something. She told Boy that she's embarrased about the scandal because she might turn off Sharon Cuneta and Sharon's daughter KC Concepcion.
"Alam ko nanood sa akin si KC saka si Sharon. Nakakahiya naman itong akong pinagsasabi baka ma-discourage sa akin si KC. Pangarap ko pa naman magkaroon sila ng movie atsaka TV show. Pati ako kinikilig sa inyong dalawa."
(I know that KC and Sharon are watching. I'm embarrassed and concerned that what I'm saying might discourage KC from having anything to do with me. That would be bad because I've been dreaming of a tandem between my son Richard and KC. I dream of a film and TV show starring the two of them together. Just like their fans, I get goosebumps and all giggly at the thought of them being together.)
Annabelle then told Boy, who was already laughing loudly at her remarks, that she would welcome a reel-to-real life love story between Richard and KC.
Turning serious again, Annabelle said that she won't be able to forgive Lolit right away.
"Boy, hindi ganun kabilis hindi naman ako robot de-susi. Paandarin mo, patayin. Hindi pwede. (Boy, I'm not a wind-up toy robot that you can turn on and off. I need time.)"
She also asked for a public apology from Lolit.
"Lolit bago kita mapatawad, Lolit mag-public apology ka kay Ruffa na hindi siya kasama sa mga babae naglalaway kay Bong atsaka doon sa ano ni Bong. Hindi siya
naglalaway doon. Gusto mo akong maging kaibigan ulit mag-public apology ka."
(Lolit before I can forgive you you have to make a public apology to Ruffa. Tell her that she isn't one of the women drooling over Bong. She's not drooling over Bong's thing. If you want to be my friend again make a public apology.)
Annabelle also expressed willingness to forgive Ogie Diaz , whom she repeatedly accuses of deliberately trying to bismirch the reputations of Richard and Ruffa. Before she expressed the possibility of forgiveness, she couldn't stop herself from making a colorful description of Diaz.
"Si Ogie naman duwag naman yang baklang yan, Boy, eh. Kasi pag tinatawagan ko hindi naman siya sumasagot... para bang malamya ang kanyang boses na hindi na parang hindi ako kinakalaban. Ogie palagi mong sinasabi mo sa akin mahal mo ang pamilya ko. Kung mahal mo talaga si Richard dapat galing sa puso.
"'Wag ka nang magba-blind item. Kasi mga reporter nagba-blind item mga duwag yan. Pangalanan mo ang gusto mong pangalanan... tigilan mo na paninira sa mga anak ko, okay? Hindi ka nakakatuwa 'dong 'no nakakabwisit ka sa buhay ko."
(That gay Ogie is a coward, Boy. I call him up to confront him and he gets all meek on me, as if he's not attacking me in his write-ups and radio shows. Ogie, you keep saying you love my family and you love Richard. But you should say that only when you mean if from your heart. Don't write blind items anymore. Reporters who do that are cowards. Name names. Stop trying to ruin my kids, okay? You're not funny anymore, you're such a source of irritation in my life.)
And that, folks, is Annabelle Rama when she's "not trying to pick a fight."
Annabelle Rama is currently shooting the movie "Monster Mom" for Regal Films, where she plays the title role.
source:abs/cbn
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entertainment,Ruffa Gutierrez,Boy Abunda,Anabelle Rama,celebrities
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