— Boy George
By Alex P. Vidal
WHO actually started the fire? Was it a self-inflicted drama that turned into disaster?
It was showbiz megastar Sharon Gamboa Cuneta, 58, who first “invited” entertainment scalawags like Cristy Fermin to talk about them when the popular singer-actress posted their family photo on the social media showing her husband, former Senator Franciso “Kiko” Pangilinan, without a head during the Valentine’s Day on February 14, 2024.
The headless Kiko was seen on the social media photo standing together with Ms Cuneta and their children, a macabre post that shocked even the non-showbiz community.
In the first place, why did the Instagram allow it? How did Kiko’s headless body land in the supposed to be strictly sanitized social media platform?
Better still, why did the megastar, an educated and decent showbiz heartthrob idolized by millions of fans mostly in the bakya crowd, do that?
It naturally triggered a plethora of speculations and doubts from the nosy and suspicious public.
Fermin, 67, a former subordinate of Iloilo columnist Herbert Vego, 74, in the early 70s in Manila, and other trigger-happy entertainment writers feasted on the nasty social media photo, a one-of-a-kind in today’s gimmick-driven showbiz world.
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Kiko and Sharon are not only celebrities, they are prominent social and political figures being looked up to by millions of family oriented Filipinos.
Thus, the people’s curiosity was valid. Did the couple split? Was a cold war or thunderstorm brewing within the Pangilinan household? If yes, what a way to announce the ugly domestic spat for all the world to know.
If there is smoke, there is fire.
If the popular singer-actress didn’t start the fire, so to speak, by posting on the social media that headless body of her husband, no one would badger them with those cyber “libelous” commentaries. We aren’t saying, of course, that slandering the celebrity couple, or any showbiz and non-showbiz characters for that matter, is justified. It’s the court that will determine the merits of the case.
When Ms Cuneta apologized and removed the vexatious photo from the Instagram when the fire of public annoyance turned into conflagration, it was too late. The damage to their hitherto immaculate image has been done.
In other words, she had intentionally posted that headless body of her husband, a defeated 2022 vice presidential candidate. But why?
Why would Ms Cuneta do that bizarre act of humiliating husband Kiko if the problem was purely private?
Since that tragic Valentine’s Day social media boo-boo made by Ms Cuneta, media rascals like Fermin didn’t stop lampooning the couple.
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Three months later or on May 10, 2024, the megastar and the former senator filed a cyber libel complaint against the showbiz columnist at the Makati City Prosecutors Office.
They claimed that “their family was deeply affected” by the claims made by the lady columnist which led them to pursue legal action.
Ms Cuneta boomed: “Inalagaan ko ‘yung pangalan ko ng 46 years. Magandang palaki sakin ng magulang ko. At higit sa lahat, sabi nung tatlong anak ko, mabuti akong ina. So napaka sakit sakin. My children have suffered. Sama ng loob nila. We’ve been off social media partly because of this.”
She added: “Ayoko ‘to kung pwede lang, pero parang it’s a message also, artista kami pero ang daming nakakalimot na nasasaktan din kami na hindi niyo naman kami kilala nakikita niyo lang ‘yung trabaho namin.”
When asked what specific claim triggered the official complaint, the couple preferred not to disclose it, as they said it’s not allowed and it’s already included in the official written complaint.
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Like many tourists, I am also interested to know the following facts we did not know about the United Kingdom (U.K.) before honoring the invitation from my daughter, a registered nurse in London, to visit the U.K. (These facts came from the Internet):
1. The United Kingdom is actually made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
2. The UK is home to the world's oldest underground railway system, the London Underground, which opened in 1863.
3. The official animal of Scotland is the unicorn.
4. The UK is the birthplace of famous authors such as William Shakespeare, J.K. Rowling, and Charles Dickens.
5. The King of the United Kingdom is the legal owner of one-sixth of the Earth's land surface.
6. The world's first public zoo, the London Zoo, opened in London in 1828.
7. The Big Ben clock tower in London is actually the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock, not the tower itself.
8. The River Thames, which flows through London, is the longest river in England.
9. The UK is the second-largest consumer of tea per capita, just behind Ireland.
10. The world's oldest recorded town, Colchester, is located in England.
11. The city of Liverpool is home to the Beatles, one of the most famous bands in music history.
12. The UK is known for its love of fish and chips, a popular dish consisting of deep-fried fish and potato chips.
13. Scotland is home to the Loch Ness Monster, a mythical creature said to inhabit Loch Ness.
14. The world's first public museum, the British Museum, was founded in London in 1753.
15. The UK is the birthplace of the English language, which is spoken by over a billion people worldwide.
16. The UK is famous for its castles, with over 1,500 castles scattered throughout the country.
17. The Queen's Guard, responsible for guarding the British royal residences, is known for its distinctive red tunics and bearskin hats.
18. The world's first postage stamp, the Penny Black, was issued in the UK in 1840.
19. The oldest university in the English-speaking world, the University of Oxford, was founded in the 12th century.
20. The UK is home to Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument believed to have been constructed around 3000 BC.
21. The sport of football (soccer) originated in England in the 19th century and is now one of the most popular sports in the world.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)
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