GABBY  A  WELCOME  BLAST  FROM  THE  PAST

MANILA, APRIL 1, 2008 (STAR) FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo - These past 13 years, after he left down-hearted and broken-hearted for the States for the second time, Gabby Concepcion has been a staple in the grapevine, constantly rumored to be coming back for as “comeback” project or, why not, for good. One of Mother Lily’s original Regal Babies (along with William Martinez, Dina Bonnevie, Maricel Soriano and Snooky Serna), Gabby became some kind of an “iconic” figure in his absence, proving to all and sundry that absence, especially in a highly-visible field like showbiz, doesn’t really make the heart grow fonder but, sob and sigh, makes it wander instead.

Sunday at 3:30 a.m., Gabby flew in from San Francisco for a sentimental journey, purposely to visit his father, the equally-controversial Rolly Concepcion, who is wheelchair-bound due to a heart ailment and who is celebrating his birthday on April 4. “I can’t forgive myself if I didn’t come for the occasion,” Gabby said on his first post-arrival TV appearance on The Buzz afternoon of that same day.

Turning 45 on Nov. 5, Gabby has retained much of his looks that made him the matinee idol of the ’80s: Cute dimples, rosy cheeks, pink lips and a generally college-boy appeal that disarmed women (he has, well, quite a lot of them). In short, he didn’t seem to age at all despite the hardships (as he himself admitted) that he has been through as an ordinary wage-earner in America.

That pretty face was etched forever in public memory drenched in tears as he apologized for his role in the infamous 1994 Manila Filmfest scam in which he got the Best Actor trophy rightly won by Edu Manzano. Gabby left for the States not long after and came back to resume his career, only for it to be rudely interrupted when his then new wife Jenny Syquia (Gabby’s marriage to first wife Sharon Cuneta has since been annulled) tearfully revealed in a press conference that she was a battered wife. (Jenny, who has a daughter by Gabby, is now happily married to a Swede and residing in Boston; they have a child.)

That was 13 years ago.

Since then, while working as a real-estate agent in San Francisco, Gabby has married again (his third marriage), to Genevieve “Ginbee” Yatco (of a prominent clan from Biñan, Laguna) who gave birth to their first child last year. All in all, Gabby has four children: One with Grace Ibuna (herself now happily married); one with Sharon, KC who’s on her way to becoming the new superstar, her mom’s heir apparent in more ways than one; one with Jenny; and the fourth with Ginbee.

Now, he’s back, minus the “excess baggage” (among them an estafa case arising from the 1994 filmfest scam and a bigamy suit filed against him by Jenny), definitely a very much welcome from the past as evidenced by the media to-do about him and the warm public response.

So what’s up for Gabby? Aside from attending his dad’s birthday (and, presumably, that of his daughter KC on April; father and daughter are beautifully bonding...KC even paid Gabby and Ginbee a visit in San Francisco two years ago), is he staying long enough to star in a movie, in a teleserye and in a drama show?

This much we have gathered from Gabby’s exclusive interview with Boy Abunda on The Buzz (thanks to Boy for sharing juicy pieces with Funfare):

• He said he might do a movie for Star Cinema, and a teleserye and an episode for Charo Santos-Concio’s long-running/top-rating drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya.

(Contacted by Funfare, newly-appointed ABS-CBN president Charo Santos-Concio said that Gabby hasn’t signed a contract yet with Star Cinema and/or ABS-CBN.)

• What will happen to the movie contract he has signed with GMA Films?

“Sana matuloy pa rin ‘yon,” Gabby said. “‘Yon naman ang hinangad ko na sana matuloy. ‘Yon nga lang, may konting conflict na hindi maiiwasan. Pero hindi ko tinatanggihan ang commitment na pinasukan ko. Sana matuloy ‘yon para matapos na. Everybody is aware of it.”

(Contacted by Funfare, GMA Films head Annette Gozon-Abrogar said that upon signing of the contract sometime in November or December last year, GMA Films gave Gabby P1.3-M as downpayment for a movie. Added Annette, “One provision in the contract states that Gabby cannot (do a movie) with any other company during the effectivity of the contract, which is from the signing of the contract to three months after the commercial exhibition of the movie.”)

• So what happened to his GMA Films movie, titled Italy, with Jolina Magdangal (whose family is the co-producer)? Didn’t he, according to rumors, like the story which relegates him to a second-lead role?

“Maraming dahilan,” said Gabby. “Kung ito nga ay magiging comeback, it has to be a comeback. Kasi kung hindi ito magiging comeback, bakit ko ito gagawin? Ang sinasabi ko lang is babalik ako, eh, ano ang tawag mo d’un kung pagbalik ko? ‘Yun lang, but...”

• Who would he choose as leading lady for his “comeback” movie?

The studio audience screamed, “Sharon Cuneta!”

Gabby said, “Why not? Of course, Sharon has been part of my life. I would like to do a movie with her; I’d love to do a movie with KC. She’s my daughter after all. It would be nice if we could do a movie together. of course, maraming intriga ang papasok. Katulad nga ng sabi ni Sharon, paglalaruan lang kami ng media. Pero, kung maiiwasan, why not? Gumawa tayo, ipakita natin sa tao tutal ‘yon ang gusto nila. Handa ako. Wala naman akong itinatago. My life is an open book. Lahat ng intriga nakadikit sa buntot ko. Tirahin ako, I’m very open to it. Kaya wala na akong itinatago.”

(Funfare texted Sharon for comment but she didn’t reply.)

As a parting shot, Gabby asked forgiveness for whatever “sins” he has committed against Sharon with whom he has long made peace.

“Let’s all put the past behind us.”

Ruffa glad that Yilmaz has moved on

“Yes, I’ve been hearing her name for more than a year now along with several others, so the news didn’t come as a shock to me.”

That was Ruffa Gutierrez’s reaction to Funfare’s item yesterday that Yilmaz Bektas, her estranged husband, has found a new love in the person of a “former Miss Universe from Puerto Rico” who was identified by Funfare’s “beauy experts” Felix Manuel, Joey Cezeare, Gery Yumping and Francis Calubaquib as 2006 Zuleyka Rivera who fainted due to exhaustion after she was crowned by 2005 Miss Universe Natalie Glebova of Canada at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

In fact, when Yilmaz came here middle of last year in a last-ditch failed effort to reconcile with Ruffa, he told me “in confidence” that a Miss Universe winner was “interested” in meeting him and I told Ruffa (also “in confidence”) about it.

“I was in LA twice between April and June 2007,” added Ruffa, “and I confirmed that Yilmaz was in Mexico for the Miss Universe pageant coronation night when (Zuleyka) relinquished her crown.

“Tito Ricky, I left my home in Istanbul in mid-Feb. 2007 with just three bags knowing I would never go back. Yilmaz knows why.”

When Ruffa revealed in tears on The Buzz that she was a battered wife, Karen Davila didn’t believe her because, according to Karen, “Ruffa didn’t look like a battered wife,” until one of the yayas of Ruffa’s daughters (Venice), who’s now working for Karen, stepped forward and told Karen, “Totoo po lahat ‘yon, Ma’am. Kulang pa nga yon!”

Continued Ruffa, “Tito Ricky, it has been more than a year since I left Istanbul to start a new life in the Philippines. A failed marriage always brings tears, disappointment, pain, hurt, confusion, depression and fear for the future. But one thing is certain: I didn’t regret my decision. Today, what brings me joy and what makes me complete are the hugs of my angels, Lorin and Venice, their smile and unconditional love. I will not comment on Yilmaz’s current love life, even if he called my landline at 6 a.m. the other day denying that he’s now in a relationship. Business partner lang daw ‘yon. Hellooo! Tell that to the marines! He has clearly moved on and so have I.”

To set the record straight, according to Ruffa, Yilmaz hasn’t sent Ruffa and/or their children one single penny for more than a year now.

“I support my children’s needs, early education at an international school, clothing and everything material they need. It’s been six months since I have stopped asking since my pleas to Yilmaz and his family have only fallen on deaf ears. It’s a touchy part and it makes me so emotional at times as I feel that he should be a responsible father na kahit man lang pag-aaral ng mga bata ay tulungan niya.

“But as my parents continually advised me, ‘Ruffa, kaya mo namang buhayin ang mga anak mong mag-isa.’ I leave their future in the hands of the Lord. God is good, Tito Ricky. He will provide.

“To Mother Lily, my bosses at ABS-CBN, my family at P&G (most especially Pauline Lao of Pantene), Nestlé (Nido), Avon Fashion, Met Platinum Whitening Soap, Dr. Manny and Pie Calayan, Kisses & Co. and to my new endorsements I still cannot mention, maraming-marami pong salamat sa kanilang pagtitiwala.”

(Postscript: After sending her reaction, Ruffa called to tell me that he’s coming soon and staying for three days to check what our children need. I will believe that he’s really coming only when he’s already here.)