2002: A ‘telenovela’ year

There were four top showbiz stories in 2002. The continuation of the Nida Blanca murder investigation, the Joey Marquez-Alma Moreno split-up, the death of Rico Yan and the Jules Ledesma-Assunta de Rossi romance. Except for the Nida Blanca murder case – which moved oh-so-slowly – the three stories all had the ingredients of a telenovela. There were always fresh twists and turns and new characters were forever being introduced as part of the story – yes, just like in soap operas.

However, I won’t discuss the Joey-Alma separation anymore because this story really began much earlier than 2002. (There were already rumors of a split-up as early as 2001 if I’m not mistaken).

In this two-part series, I will just tackle the death of Rico Yan and other events that resulted from it and the love story of Jules and Assunta along with the long list of controversies attached to it. Below, starting with Rico Yan’s sudden death, you’ll find out as you read along why 2002’s top stories in showbiz look like a telenovela. Here are what you call the plot points in soap operas.

Rico Yan’s death

It’s Good Friday and the nation is shocked by the death of the matinee idol while he is on vacation at the controversial Dos Palmas resort in Palawan. This is the standard big opening for any telenovela. Always start with a bang. In Judy Ann Santos’ Esperanza many years ago, for instance, a bus falls off the ravine and explodes, starting off the daily series.

Claudine Barreto is vacationing in Subic but is not just with her family. She is said to be with Raymart Santiago, too.

Eldest brother Randy Santiago hears the news of Rico Yan’s death, realizes that youngest brother Raymart is with Claudine in Subic and before the press gets wind of it, tells him to get out of there – pronto.

There are all sorts of speculations regarding Rico Yan’s death, some of which border on the absurd. Just as in most of the film and TV roles, which depict her as a bad girl, people do not know if they will sympathize with Claudine. Those who say that the actor committed suicide blame her for his death. She is branded a femme fatale.

Rico’s older brother Bobby Yan and best friend Dominic Ochoa are thrust into the spotlight (but in secondary roles) because it is they who give interviews regarding Rico’s mysterious death. It is Marjorie Barretto, however, who gives the most sensible interviews about the whole issue.

Flashback: A few months before Rico Yan’s death, he and Claudine have a violent fight at the lobby of the building where Claudine lives. By a strange twist of fate, it is the same building where I have my halfway house. But as always, I keep my mouth shut-which is not the ideal attitude for a talk show host.

The wake at La Salle Greenhills is quite cinematic. People – old and young, rich and poor – flock to the school grounds and that part of Greenhills becomes chaotic. The bigger drama is when Claudine is reportedly given a difficult time and is almost not allowed at the wake.

Rico Yan’s funeral becomes a national event and the ratings of the ABS-CBN reaches astronomical heights.

The plot thickens as a new character is introduced in the person of Rosanna Roces who gives her own fearless remarks in Startalk. She gets a one-month suspension for that.

I also enter the scene (but in a very minor role) when I say a nasty remark about Raymart who is a no-show in my segment in Startalk. Raymart gets back at me the next day in S-Files.

The location moves to Hong Kong where the Barretto sisters –particularly Claudine – take a breather from all the controversies. But Gretchen Barretto is still in fighting form and creates her own scene by granting an interview on S-Files. She tells everyone that they are giving a press conference upon their arrival from the former British Crown Colony.

The Barretto sisters give no statement upon their arrival. To this day, people still believe that the ABS-CBN people spoke to Claudine privately and promised to take better care of her career in exchange for keeping her mouth shut regarding the whole Rico Yan brouhaha.

As a result of what Rosanna Roces said on TV (about Ecstasy and all that), the NBI conducts an investigation about this signature drug. Other celebrity names are dragged into the picture.

In late April, I am asked by Startalk to attend the launch of Plain and Prints, a new clothing line endorsed by Gretchen. They say it’s an opportunity for me to talk to Gretchen about how the Barrettos feel about the supposedly shabby treatment of the Yan family toward Claudine. Gretchen skirts the issue and talks about the clothing line instead. But I keep bringing it back until we get enough materials for a whole segment.

When the interview is aired the following day on Startalk, the Plains and Prints people are howling mad at me because the Gretchen Barretto interview is only about Rico Yan. Hello, people! I only do the interviews. I don’t supervise the editing of materials.

At the birthday party of Ruffa Gutierrez held at the Valle Verde mansion of Ricky Reyes, Gretchen Barretto makes a dramatic entrance draped in what must be a very expensive dress (the types worn by Madame Claudia and Amor Powers). Her head is held up high – what with the ropes and ropes of pearls around her pretty neck. She pretends not to see me. (Tonyboy Cojuangco – although it was our first meeting – at least acknowledges my greetings). Maybe Gretchen is also sore at me because of the Plains and Prints interview (or non-interview?).

A few months later, I bump into Marjorie at the elevator of my building. She is on her way to supervising preparations for her daughter’s birthday party at the condo’s function room. In contrast to Gretchen, she is still warm and friendly. I knew she’s always been the most sensible among the Barrettos – but that statement sure is biased.

At the taping of the Kapuso station ID for GMA-7 at the Alabang Town Center, I see Raymart and I apologize for what I said on TV months earlier. He is gentleman enough to accept my apologies.

The death of Rico Yan was such a tragedy. But the bigger tragedy was the way everyone cashed in on his death: television shows (even-horrors!-the news and public affairs programs), newspapers, radio – even those enterprising enough to sell souvenir items bearing the image of the late actor. What was sad was that when Lucio San Pedro and Levi Celerio died around the same period, they did not receive the same kind of media coverage given to Rico Yan. (To be continued)