Assunta de Rossi For Congress!

Well, well, well, who did I see parading on the red carpet at SONA 2010 in her freebie Avel Bacudio yellow gown all by her lonesome? None other than congressional spouse Assunta de Rossi!

The wife of Negros Occidental representative Jules Ledesma walked the red carpet, posed for TV cameras and photographers without the person who should have been there.

Not surprising really because Jules Ledesma garnered the most absences during the 14th Congress. Get this. He attended only 3 of the 50 sessions but still got his monthly salary, December bonus and, I would assume, his allotted pork barrel.

What is surprising is that Assunta doesn't know her husband's whereabouts. Huh?! Don't they text or email?

According to Jules Ledesma, he may not be present during the sessions but it doesn't mean he's not doing his job. A congressman is a legislator and part of his job is to attend house deliberations. I don't know what he is legislating wherever he is.

Can they vote Assunta in the next elections instead? I'm sure she has attended more congressional spouse meetings and events than the measly 3 her husband attended in 2009.

In defense mode, Assunta said her husband got 94% of the votes in his district so that means he's doing something right. Or just maybe his constituents just don't know any better?

Assunta matched her gown with a Bulgari clutch. Don't go assuming that the bag came from Jules. Jules may be one of the riches solons in the House (P400 million plus, baby!) but do you know that Assunta has to work to fund her bags and trinkets habit? Is this fair? Is this what Assunta signed up for? This is gold digging fail at its worst! Me thinks six-footer Assunta has been had by 4-ft something Jules.

Anyway, I wish Congress would drug test all congressmen and senators already. As in now na!

Ronald Singson A No Show in SONA 2010

But of course! Ronald Singson is still languishing in a Hong Kong jail after getting apprehended with 26.1 grams of cocaine and two tablets of Valium at the airport.

Ronald Singson has entered a no guilty plea before a Hong Kong judge. But did you know that, if Chavit is to be believed, Ronald is so noble he deserves his own cross alongside Jesus? According to Chavit, his son took responsibility for the drugs so as to spare his friends from getting locked up? Awww... but then again it would be more helpful if Ronald gets off that cross because his constituents in Ilocos Sur could find a lot of uses for that wood, I'm sure.

According to more of Chavit's bullshit, he has no plans to visit his son in jail. He is embarrassed because he is strict when it comes to illegal drugs involving his family and employees. This we all know because Chavit is all into illegal gambling and polygamy. Reading this, I get the urge to shout "CHAVIT, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU!"

Chavit's message to his son: "I hope magdusa na siya nang husto at hindi na mauulit ito." Chavit may get his wish because 26.1 grams of cocaine means at least 8 years in prison in Hong Kong law.

Redford White Has Passed Away

Comedian Redford White, 54, passed away on the morning of July 25 due to complications from brain and lung cancer.

Redford's friends in show business announced his demise on the social networking site Twitter.

"At 6:47 [a.m.] today, my great friend, fellow diver and a wonderful human being known to all as Redford White passed away peacefully," said singer and APO Hiking Society member Jim Paredes in his Twitter account.

In his Twitter account, actor Gabe Mercado also said that Redford "kept his condition secret even from close friends."

"Redford White was a mentor, a man who had tremendous respect for his craft and was perhaps the most generous man I knew. Rest in peace," Mercado added.

Redford White began his movie career in the late 1970's. He rose to fame in the television sitcom "Buddy en Sol" with Eric Quizon during the early 90's.

His movies in the 1990's include "Haba-baba-doo! Puti-puti-poo," "Tong Tatlong Tatay Kong Pakitong-kitong," and "Tik Tak Toys: My Kolokotoys."

His remains lie in state at Sto Nino de Maligaya Chapel in Caloocan City.

The actor-comedian is survived by his wife and daughter.

Charice and Botox Equals Crucifixation For Vicki Belo

Never mind David Foster. What will Oprah think, Charice?! Showbusiness, local and overseas, went abuzz over news that Charice Pempengco got botox.

Do you have the feeling that Charice could have botoxed the hell out of her face in peace until she looked like this and no one would have been the wiser if the event was not recorded on video and sent as a press release?

You get botox or plastic surgery on the down low and tell friends you just "lost weight" or "its just makeup" when they comment on how fresh you look these days. Or in the event of plastic surgery gone bad, just tell people that you contracted a very rare form of some disease. Just ask Pie Calayan.

Charice, the girl can sang but she should not be interviewed, whether in Tagalog or English. Telling a reporter you got botox and that thermage thingy to look fresh for Glee? She's 18 but looks 12 even on her bad day. Any fresher and she would be a fetus.

And where is this girl's mother? For this fiasco she should not be allowed to cash, even hold, any cheque for Charice until the effect of that botox wears off.

And let us not forget Vicki Belo's hand in this. For her role in this, I can't decide on what punishment will push her over the edge: a ban on botox and other cosmetic procedures on her mug or separation from Hayden Kho for a certain period of time.

Now, Vicki Belo and GMA 7, the network that aired the botox video, is on damage control. On Jessica Soho Reports we're told and shown that botox cures excessive pit sweat.

And we're now hearing that Charice's botox procedure is not for enhancement, i.e., to narrow Charice's face, but to treat Charice's TMJ (temporomandibular joint) syndrome. Hahaha... This wasn't mentioned when Vicki Belo was half smile (she can't "all smile") while injecting botox on Charice's jaw bone.

Please tell me why there are people who believe Vicki Belo's "beauty" advice?
I mean look at her mug.

A visual inspection should be enough to force people to have second thoughts on Belo "touching you." Wouldn't you think something is not right when you can't tell whether a beauty expert is smiling or just constipated?

Congressman Ronald Singson Jailed in HK for Cocaine Possession

Karma works fast. Just ask Ilocos Sur Governor (again) Chavit Singson. His son Ronald Singson, a newly elected congressman from Ilocos Sur, is currently detained in Hong Hong after he was caught carrying 26.1 grams of cocaine and two tablets of diazepam (a sedative, marketed as Valium) at the Customs Arrival Hall of Chek Lap Kok International Airport on July 11.

This is good news. It would have been excellent news if Ronald Singson was caught in Singapore or other Asian countries with strict antidrugs law. Ala Brokedown Palace ba?

So you ask what is a politician doing on this showbiz blog? Well aside from the fact that I want to spread this sense of schadenfreude I feel whenever Chavit Singson is taken down a peg or two, Ronald Singson has showbiz connections.

He is a partner in Jomari Yllana's Fearless Productions, the company that brings popular musical artists here - the most recent one being Usher. Ronald has also had a few romantic relationships with local starlets - the most recent one being Lovi Poe.

Speaking of Lovi Poe, Chavit is lie telling that his son's recent breakup with Lovi (during Usher's concert at SMX in Mall of Asia no less) broke his son's heart that he let friends influence him to carry drugs with him. 41 years old and still feeling peer pressure? Yeah, right, Chavit.

And Lovi? She may look to be approaching 30 but she's actually in her early 20s. That's not yikes. That's daddy issues.

Now that Ronald is stroking prison bars instead of Lovi (sorry for the imagery) what will happen to the bill Ronald submitted to Congress, which, by the way, has the distinction of being the first ever bill filed for the incoming 15th Congress.

Well, no worries. It's a bill that proposes tax exemption to individuals who want to buy and own hybrid cars. Yeah, hybrid cars are good for the environment and all but what percentage of our population is poor again? Who gives a fuck, really?

Well, Ronald does because he owns one. Self serving cocaine fiend!

Claudine Barreto Is No Longer A Fatty

Claudine Baretto, mother earth arrived at a press conference for a movie she's doing with Richard Gutierrez and Anne Curtis looking slimmer.

I'm not one who usually rags on "overweightedness" but Claudine was on TV promoting a brand of children's milk with Carmina Villaroel and Jody Sta Maria and I was like "WTF!"

Claudine was top heavy (as in very) and appearing with Carmina and Jody didn't help any. I know she was trying to project an earth mother image but she appeared like the mother who ate the earth.

At the press con, Claudine reveals that she's back to being pesco vegetarian, which means she cannot eat meat and she can do fish as well as dairy products.

Claudine also tells why she gained weight during her pregnancy: doctors told her to start eating meat. I guess the doctor failed to clarify that she not eat the whole pig or the whole cow, thus the weight gain.

So now I get why Claudine's been fighting with her gold-digging sister Gretchen Barreto and why she walked out on an interview with media. Protein deprivation, anyone?

Now that Claudine is back to size 0 or 2 (or so she says), I hope she's not thinking that her weight is inversely proportional to the ratings of her Saturday drama show on GMA 7.

The show's been a flop, ratings-wise, another reason to hate her Gretchen.

Luigi Seno Makes Waves in America

Luigi Seno, born and raised in the Mandaue, impressed all three judges of the US television talent show America's Got Talent with his acoustic version of Maroon 5's Sunday Morning.

His cool voice is worth a goose bump or two for me. We're so used to hearing good singers that it would really take an out-of-this-world voice to impress us. Well, Luigi's voice is not exactly "alien" but his voice is cool and soothing. It's like Baron Geisler would have no choice but to stop his groping orgy in one of his drunken episodes and listen to Luigi and his guitar.

Luigi got three yeses from the judges and now on his way to Las Vegas for a chance to win a cool $1 Million.
Luigi on YouTube