Angel: When it’s over, it’s over!

That quote – When it’s over, it’s over! – was first heard from Pops Fernandez almost a decade ago when she confirmed that she and Martin Nievera had split up.

That’s now what Angel Locsin is saying about her break-up with Oyo Sotto a few days before New Year.

"As of now," Angel admitted during an exclusive interview with Funfare (The STAR is the only newspaper she has agreed to open up to) Thursday night on the set of her new movie, GMA Films’ The Promise, at a sugarcane field in Dasmariñas, Cavite, "wala na...wala na talaga. It’s over!"

But having started as friends (or even as like brother and sister) whose relationship became even stronger when Oyo acted as Angel’s shoulder-to-cry-on while she was grieving for the tragic death of her boyfriend, Mico Sotto (Oyo’s cousin), three years ago, the ex-sweethearts have remained friends. Or so Angel likes to think.

"What’s important is that we are still friends," added Angel who couldn’t mention the name Oyo. "Our friendship is important because that’s how our relationship started. Hindi mawawala ‘yon."

Angel and Oyo had been going steady for only more than a year.

Last Christmas, Angel spent two days at the St. Luke’s Medical Center not due to a "nervous breakdown" caused by the break-up, as rumors had it, but to a bum stomach caused by shellfish. There are speculations that there were "third parties" in the break-up, like Robin Padilla (Angel’s leading lady in the new GMA fantaserye Asian Treasures which starts airing soon) and Bing Loyzaga (one of Oyo’s co-stars in Enteng Kabisote, topbilled by his dad, Vic Sotto) who only laughed off the rumor, saying that she and Oyo are only "barkada" (confirmed by Vic himself).

Even Kristine Hermosa (Vic’s leading lady in Enteng) is being "accused" of being a third party after she and Oyo, along with a few companions, were spotted having enjoying a nightout. Kristine, wife of Diether Ocampo, has yet to speak up. (Your guess is as good as anybody’s – she’ll deny it.)

"There’s no third party involved," insisted Angel who refused to say what really caused the break-up (you know, was it lack of time between them or what?). "I plead ‘guilty’ to lack of time because I’ve been working and working these past several weeks." But as far as the real cause of the break-up was concerned, she simply said, "I don’t want to talk about that yet."

About Robin whom she calls "Kuya Binoe," Angel said, "He’s my mentor. Maybe some people will say, ‘Si Angel, ang bagong leading lady ni Binoe; siguro liligawan din siya.’ Kuya Binoe is like a big brother to me; he’s my teacher. He has a wife and children and I hope his name won’t be dragged into the issue."

In The Promise, a haunting love story inspired by Wuthering Heights and directed by Mark Tuviera, Angel has again Richard Gutierrez as leading man for the nth time. Their team-up clicks even if in real life they are not sweethearts (like Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon) and they both have separate love lives.

Asked what brotherly advice Richard was giving her, Angel said, "He’s supportive..."

Toward the end of the year, Angel brought flowers to Mico’s grave which she visits every time she gets the chance. Asked what she told Mico, Angel said, "Whatever it was, Mico knew."

Although she said that she hasn’t put a period to her romance with Oyo, Angel hastened to add, "Pero may closure na."

(Note: For more on the Angel-Oyo break-up, watch tonight’s edition of Showbiz Stripped on GMA 7, 11:30 after Hokus-Pokus The Next Level.)

Kubrador invited to more int’l fests

Here’s an interesting item from Funfare contributor Abe Pagtama:

Kubrador, starring Gina Pareño (photo), has been accepted by a total of 16 international film festivals:

1. World Premiere at the 28th Moscow International Film Festival, Russia June 23 to July 2, 2006 where it won the FIPRESCI Award

2. Asian Premiere at the Eighth Osian-Cinefan International Film Festival, New Delhi, India, July 14 to 23, 2006 where it bagged Best Picture, Best Actress and its Second FIPRESCI Prize

3. North American premiere at 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, Canada from Sept. 7 to 16, 2006

4. 2006 Vancouver International Film Festival, Canada from Sept. 28 to Oct. 13, 2006

5. Turkish premiere at the Second International Eurasia Film Festival in Antalya from Sept. 16 to 23, 2006

6. Bollywood premiere at Mumbai’s 5th Asian Film Festival from Oct. 12 to 19, 2006

7. 2006 Pusan International Film Festival, Korea from Oct. 12 to 20, 2006

8. UK premiere at the 50th London International Film Festival, Oct. 18 to Nov. 2, 2006

9. US premiere at the Louis Vuitton-Hawaii International Film Festival From Oct. 19 to 29, 2006

10. Latin American premiere at 30th São Paulo International Film Festival / 30th Mostra Internacional de Cinema, Brazil from Oct. 21 to Nov. 3, 2006

11. Balkan premiere at Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greece from Nov. 7 to 23, 2006

12. Western European premiere at the 33rd Brussels International Independent Film Festival from Nov. 7 to 12, 2006

13. French premiere at the 26th Festival International du Film d’Ameins (in competition) from Nov. 10 to 19, 2006

14. Italian premiere at the Asiatica Film Mediale in Rome from Nov. 18 to 26, 2006

15. Iberian premiere at the Sección Oficial of Spain’s 51st Valladolid International Film Festival from Oct. 20 to 28, 2006

16. Kubrador will be competing for the Golden Kinnaree award for Best Film in Competition during the 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival from Jan. 26 to Feb. 5, 2007.

Fr. Corsie’s healing sked

Here are Fr. Corsie Legaspi’s healing schedule for this month:

• Jan. 11, Thursday, 1 to 5 p.m., at the Coming Home Retreat and Meditation Center, Binakayan, Cavite.

• Jan. 13, Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m., at the Coming Home Retreat and Meditation Center, Binakayan, Cavite.

• Jan. 22, Monday, 1 to 6 p.m., at San Isidro Labrador Parish, San Luis, Batangas.

• Jan. 24, Wednesday, 1 to 6 p.m., at St. Cecilia’s School, Valenzuela, Bulacan.

• Jan. 29, Monday, 1 to 5 p.m., at the Coming Home Retreat and Meditation Center, Binakayan, Cavite

• Jan. 30, Tuesday, 1 to 6 p.m., at the Immaculate Conception Parish, Concepcion, Marikina City.

(Note: For inquiries, call Somil at 046-434-8759 or 046-878-0069, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.)

Kasal overtakes Enteng at tills

The brouhaha over the 32nd Metro Filmfest Awards is dying down but the race at the box-office (good until Sunday, Jan. 7) rages on, with second-placer and Second Best Picture Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo (Star Cinema) taking over the top slot from No. 1 Best Picture awardee Enteng Kabisote (M-ZET Films/OctoArts Films) since Monday, Jan. 1.

Here are the grosses of the two movies in the last four days:

• Jan. 1 – Kasal, P11.5-M; Enteng, P10.4-M

• Jan. 2 – Kasal, P9.7-M; Enteng, P7.1-M

• Jan. 3 – Kasal, P6.4-M; Enteng, P3.2-M

• Jan. 4 – Kasal, P4.3-M; Enteng, P1.8-M

And here are the total grosses of the nine entries in the Metro Filmfest:

1. Enteng Kabisote – P112,456,584-M

2. Kasal, Kasali, kasalo – P107,496,737-M

3. Shake, Rattle & Roll 8 – P48,675,732-M

4. Matakot Ka sa Karma – P20,426,950-M

5. Mano Po 5: Gua Ai Di – P19,431,403-M

6. Super Noypi – P17,309,117-M

7. Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah Zee Moveeh – P10,643,358-M

8. Ligalig – P6,841,770-M

9. Tatlong Baraha – P3,673,623-M

(Note: Figures furnished Funfare by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) which is behind the Metro Filmfest.)

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