Page 24 - LM Confidential Issue September 2014

Entertainment
Kris Bernal Teams with Dennis
PEACEKEEPING continued from page 1
able to escape.
“We cannot criticize them for it, nor can we
follow the decision they have made. We live by our own ethos of following command,”Tikoitoga added. Forty Filipinos in the besieged UN facility Position 68 disobeyed Singha’s orders to surrender their weapons and executed an unauthorized escape
mission after a 7-hour firefight with rebels. Philippine military chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr said there was no guarantee that the Syrian rebels – among them members of the Al- Qaeda affiliate in Syria, the Al-Nusra Front – will not also take them hostage after they surrender their firearms. While Filipinos celebrate the daring escape of their soldiers in the middle of the night when the rebels were asleep, Singha is telling Indian
media that the move was an “act of cowardice.” “The higher UN echelon as well as the Indian Army agrees with me that the decision was correct. It is an act of cowardice to desert posts especially when a delicate ceasefire was in place....They broke the chain of command and UN orders,” Singha was
quoted in various Indian news outlets.
Singha said the Filipinos also endangered the
lives of the 45 Fijian peacekeepers who were taken hostage by the Syrian rebels.
“The non-professional actions of the Filipino troops have endangered the lives of the Fijian soldiers. They have defied orders at a time when we had negotiated a ceasefire with the rebels to ensure that all troops in the conflict area could exit,” Singha added.
The Philippine military has questioned Singha for using the Filipinos as “sacrificial pawns” to save the Fijians. Catapang said Singha should have extracted the Filipinos first, and the Philippine peacekeepers would later help rescue the Fijians.
Risks of surrender
Caught in the middle of the blame game is the UN, which has backed Singha and denied there was an order to for the Filipinos to surrender their weapons. UN Under Secretary for Peacekeeping Operations Herves Ladsous said the order was “not to shoot.”
The Philippines said Singha verbally issued the order to surrender the weapons and supposedly refused to put his order in writing. The new interviews with Singha and Tikoitoga back the narration of the Filipinos, however.
Surrendering weapons to rebels is risky, as UN experience shows.
In 1993, 10 Belgian peacekeepers who surrendered to the ethnic Hutu extremists in Rwanda were executed. They were members of UNAMIR, the UN Assistance for Rwanda. The Hutu militia is behind a genocide of about 800,000 people of the minority Tutsi community.
The UN peacekeepers’ role in Rwanda during the genocide was questioned as the world body was accused of allowing the genocide by refusing to send in more troops to control the situation. Most of the UNAMIR troops were pulled out after the execution of the peacekeepers. Singha, however, was confident of the talks with the Syrian rebels. A negotiated ceasefire would supposedly ensure that all troops could exit the conflict area. But the Filipinos claimed they monitored the rebels massing up after the 7-hour firefight and believed they would be “massacred” if they did not escape.
The crisis in Golan that started August 28. The UN continues to demand for the unconditional release of the Fijian peacekeepers. Tikoitoga said there’s been a “lull” in the negotiation for their release, however. The Al-Nusra Front earlier issued 3 demands: its deletion from the the UN terrorist list, compensation for 3 colleagues killed in firefights against peacekeepers, and humanitarian assistance for a town it dominates.
It is not clear if the 3 Syrian rebels were killed during the firefight with Filipinos. Syrian government forces also provided fire support to prevent the rebels from closing in the UN facility.
Fiji started deploying to Golan last year to replace troops of Croatia and Japan, which already decided to pull out as the internal conflict in Syria continues to deteriorate. Peacekeepers in Golan are tasked to monitor the 1974 ceasefire between Israel and Syria
While the Fijians are new in Golan, they have a long experience in peacekeeping operations in the “Middle East, notably with UNIFIL in Lebanon, with UNAMI in Iraq, and with the Multinational Force in Sinai,” according to the Fiji government.
The Philippines has been deploying to Golan since 2009 and has occupied high-level positions in the UNDOF Command. Singha in fact succeeded Filipino Natalio Ecarma III, now a defense undersecretary who was present in the war room in Manila that approved movements of the Filipino troops in Golan.
Before the standoff, the Philippines decided to pull out the peacekeepers when their tour of duty ends in October.
Malacañang defended the decision of 75 Filipino peacekeeping troops to defy their commander’s order to surrender to Syrian rebels who had surrounded their positions in the Golan Heights.
Kris Bernal is still on cloud nine because GMA decided to pair her with long-time crush Dennis Trillo.
“Noong una ayokong maniwala (na magkaka-trabaho kami). Sabi ko, ‘Ay, hindi ako maniniwala hangga’t hindi ko nakikita si Dennis. Hanggang sa nagkaroon ng story con (story conference), ‘Ay, Diyos ko, totoo na pala,’” she told the media on Thursday (August 28) at the pocket interview for her upcoming series with Dennis, “Hiram na Alaala.”
She adds, “Dati every time na tinatanong ako kung sino ‘yung crushes ko sa showbiz, lagi naman siyang kasama.”
Second time around
This is the second time Dennis and Kris are starring together in a series. But the first one, “Zaido: Pulis Pangkalawakan” was seven years ago—back when Dennis still considered the then 18-year-old star too young for him.
Another difference was their characters back
then were siblings so they never had the chance to do intimate scenes. And judging from their first scene, the 25-year-old actress seriously needs some fresh air all throughout the series.
“‘Uy naririnig mo ba yung hininga ko?,’” she asked Dennis during one scene. “Syempre kinikilig talaga ko. Nawawalan talaga ko ng hangin kapag magka-eksena kami. Siguro napapansin niya ‘yun.”
Respect, admiration
The petite actress admitted GMA Artist Center is transitioning her from rom-com to mature actress. And what better way to start than pairing her with an award-winning actor like Dennis?
But Kris has yet to find the answer if she really deserves to partner with the 33-year-old actor. “Syempre nahihiya pa rin ako kasi ang laki ng respeto ko sa kanya,” she said. “Hindi pa naman talaga kami close o nakakapagusap. Pero nakakabilib lang talaga ‘yung ang galing niya lang talagang umarte. Nakikita mo na kahit matagal na siya sa showbiz, nandun pa rin ‘yung love, ‘yung passion niya for acting.”
Moving on after ‘breakup’ with Carl
The “Hiram na Alaala” star said she hasn’t entertained suitors after she broke up with “unofficial” boyfriend, Carl Guevarra.
“May mga lumalapit (para manligaw) pero sa totoo lang hindi pa ko pumapayag. Ngayon hindi pa ko ready ma-in love. Syempre hindi
rin naman ako rin basta-basta porke’t nawala na.”
It will be recalled that Kris and Carl never labeled their special relationship that lasted for two years, until the latter admitted their falling out.
“Si Carl masasabi ko naman na mabait talaga siya. Loving siya very sweet siya. Wala akong maireklamo sa kanya. Pero ‘yun nga, may ugali siya, may ugali ako na hindi lang nagkakasundo talaga. Napag-aawayan n’yo ‘yung pinakamaliliit na detalye.”
Readying heart for Dennis
Kris is not closing her doors as far as her long-time crush is concerned.
“Hindi naman yes agad, pero pwede i-try,” she said when asked what she will do if Dennis asks her out. “Pero syempre magpapakipot pa rin ako. Girl pa rin ako no.”
But the Kapuso star is not yet ready to become “instant mommy” to Dennis’ son Calix as of now. “Hindi ko pa kayang maging mommy,” she said, laughing giddily. “Tita, tita muna.”
Dennis, for his part, knows his business too well. The actor said he won’t be surprised if he gets linked to Kris.
“Kasama naman talaga ‘yun sa trabaho, ‘yung mapag-usapan. Pwede (ma-link) pero kung ako, kung tutuluyan ko, hindi muna kasi masyadong bata.”
Julie Anne San Jose on Loving Earth
Busy man sa sangkaterbang showbiz commitments, hindi nakakalimutan ni Asia’s Pop Sweetheart Julie Anne San Jose ang tumulong.
Kaya naman hindi nag-atubili ang aktres- singer na maging parte ng isang Climate Change Advocacy Campaign ng Kapuso Network kasama ang Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) at Philippine Information Agency (PIA).
Mapapanood sa mga susunod na araw
ang video testimonials ng singer at ilan pang Kapuso stars kung saan ikinukuwento nila
ang mga ginagawa nila para mapangalagaan ang Inang Kalikasan at ito ay may slogan na: “Nagbabago na ang panahon. Panahon na para magbago.”
Sa panayam ng GMANetwork.com sa Sunday All Stars mainstay, natutuwa raw siya na isa siya sa mga napili para sa information campaign na ito.
Aniya, “Actually sobrang natutuwa po talaga ako kasi isa rin ‘to sa mga paraan para makatulong tayo sa ating kalikasan, kay Mother Earth ika nga. Bilang isang tao, hindi lang isang artista or isang estudyante, pero alam mo ‘yun parang patuloy tayong nire- remind na pangalagaan ‘yung Inang Kalikasan natin.”
“I think this is a good idea and this is a good campaign para matulungan din na maging maging aware ‘yung mga kapwa natin [na] mga Pilipino na pangalagaan ‘yung ating kapaligiran,” sabi ni Julie Anne.
Pagmamalaki ng Kapuso singer, kahit daw
Scenes
at the CNE
CNE added a mechanical bull to it’s features this year.
Ricky Castellvi mans the Ethnic Media Council Booth at the CNE.
24
sa school sinusubukan niya na mag-set ng good example sa mga kapwa niya estudyante.
Dagdag pa ng dalaga, bilang isang lider sa Angelicum College sinisiguro niya na ang mga classmate niya ay nagtatapon ng basura sa tamang lugar.
“Well ako kasi, pag nasa school, sinasabihan ko ‘yung classmates ko. [Kapag may nakita] akong mga nagkakalat diyan, pinapaalalahanan ko sila. Bilang isa sa mga lider [ng Communications], kailangan mong gumawa ng good example na gagayahin ng mga ibang mga estudyante natin.”
Kuwento rin ni Julie Anne na malaki
ang naitulong ng mga pinag-aaralan niya sa school para mas maging aware siya sa issue na kinakaharap ng environment.
Nagkaroon daw siya ng kurso na Environmental Communication kung saan gumawa sila ng project na mag-set up ng isang Facebook Fan page na magsisilbing way nila para makapag-raise ng awareness on the issue
of protecting the environment.
Saad ni Julie Anne, “Actually, last semester
nagkaroon ako ng ng course na Environmental Communication so we had this parang Facebook fan page, kung saan nandoon lahat ‘yung mga about like awareness sa nature natin. It was called ‘NOW NA’.”
“Basta parang awareness starts now. Lahat ng mga kakilala ko ini-invite [invite] namin ng mga kagrupo ko sa school. It’s actually one of our projects na kailangan talagang i-sustain hanggang sa dumami nang dumami ‘yung likes ng Facebook fan page na ‘yun, para it’s all about awareness.”
Nag-conduct din daw sila ng ilang seminar at nagpa-contest pa sa web para maging epektibo ang environmental campaign nila. Nakakataba raw ng puso na maraming mga Kapuso natin ang may pagpapahalaga pa rin sa kalikasan.
“Nagpa-contest kami like online [na] gumawa ng parang jingle, poems about nature so talagang nakakatuwa talaga kasi everyone really participates and marami talaga na may care pa rin sa nature.”
Bago matapos ang aming panayam, nagbigay ng paalala ang Kapuso star sa lahat ng mga Pilipino na kailangang tumulong at makialam para maproteksyunan ang Mother Earth. Kung hindi, malaking consequence ang maaari nating kaharapin sa kinabukasan.
“Kailangan natin ng home (Mother Earth) so kailangan talaga nating pangalagaan ‘yun.” -
L. M. Confidential
SEPTEMBER 2014
Canada