Happy ang radio and television personality na si Mo Twister at nadaragdagan ang mga istasyon at shows na patuloy na nagtitiwala sa kanya. Latest addition nga sa lineup of shows niya ang bagong infotainment talk program ng cable channel na ANC (sister channel ng ABS-CBN), ang I.M.O. (In My Opinion) na mapapanood every Sunday, 9 p.m.
Sa presscon ng ANC para sa mga bagong shows nila—na kinabibilangan ng I.M.O., weekly documentary na Storyline, at business program na Start Up—na ginanap kahapon, October 14, sa 9501 restaurant ng ABS-CBN, inamin ni Mo sa PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) na hindi naman siya nahihirapang i-manage ang kanyang schedule especially tuwing Linggo, kung saan meron siyang Showbiz Central at I.M.O. na parehong live shows.
"In Showbiz Central naman, marami kaming hosts, so it's not hard work naman," sabi ni Mo. "Pagdating sa scheduling, it's not a problem naman. I'm sure you guys are as busy as I am. Actually, maganda nga na ang napunta sa akin ay puro live shows on Sunday. At least wala nang waiting katulad ng mga drama shows. Live is so much easier. Kapag three hours ka, three hours ka lang. ‘Pag dalawang oras, ganun ka lang. So, it's really nice doing live shows."
Isa ba siya sa mga utak sa title ng talk show niyang I.M.O.?
"Yeah. Actually, it was the title given by one of my listeners on the radio. Kasi on air, parang nagkaroon ako ng contest, na puwede silang mag-email, something like that, about a title of my new show. I like it. Ang dami rin naming pinagpilian. But we chose I.M.O. nga."
Sa mga shows niya, siya mismo ang nagtatanong sa mga guests. Pero halimbawang siya ang tatanungin, anong tanong ang ayaw niyang itanong sa kanya?
"There's no question that I'm really scared naman. Ang ayoko lang kapag may kumukuha ng lumang video clips ko sa TV, ‘tapos ang baduy ko, yung mga ganun. Ang pangit, pati yung mga damit. Yung ginagawa ko, yung sumasayaw ako. It's like it's horror! Doon ako nandidiri.
"Anything about showbiz, any questions, no problem. It's part of my job. But kapag nakikita ko yung mga old clips ko, wooh! I know it's me, it's my past, but the thing is, I would not watch me!" natatawa niyang sabi.
CONTROVERSIAL PERSONALITY. Ano ang comment niya na sa tuwing ini-introduce siya ay laging sinasabing he's one of the most controversial personalities on TV and radio?
"You know, it's just a part of the business," pagkikibit-balikat niya. "As much as possible, I'm trying to be realistic. I know what's gonna happen. I know the intriga side. I know the public opinion side. All I want is that after this, you guys won't think I'm a freak. You know, I'm just a normal person.
"I don't' have the artista look, I don't have the artista height. I don't have any reason to be in this business but to earn. I'm just here trying to do my job. And all the labels like controversial, or bad father, or troublemaker, or nag-aaway kay Katrina Halili, kay Cristy Fermin, or kay Lolit Solis, or Anne Curtis's future husband... Whatever they say, I know this is all part of my job. So I don't' get offended and get affected. No problem.
"So when people label me with certain things, okay lang yun. The only part na nagiging sensitive lang ako is this thing about Moira [his daughter with former actress Bunny Paras], naturally. Only for her sake. For my sake, I don't care. And I understand you guys asking me about it, because it's part of your job," sabi ni Mo.
ANSWER TO BUNNY PARAS. Speaking of being controversial, pinag-uusapan nga ang muling pagpapa-interview ng dati niyang karelasyon at naanakan na si Bunny Paras sa mga showbiz talk shows kamakailan. Ano ang reaction niya sa mga sinabi ni Bunny sa kanyang interviews kung saan naungkat na naman ang tungkol sa anak nilang si Moira?
"I saw her interview sa The Buzz. Siyempre nasa Showbiz Central ako, so meron kaming monitor doon. I was able to see that. Well, you know, no matter what I say, I'll always be on the losing end. I'm the dad that doesn't have the daughter in the country. Siyempre si Moira, nasa States siya. So, in the end, you will always get that public opinion na hindi ko ginagawa yung mga responsibilities ko as a dad.
"But I'm really limited in what I can do cause I'm here. ‘Tapos may history na nag-aaway kami palagi ni Bunny. But I was hoping at least what Bunny would say, it's not as always bad as she wants to make it appear on TV. Yung mga interviews niya, like for example, yung mga sinasabi niya na, ‘Sana kapag nandito si Moira, you can spend more time with her.' But she doesn't say that there are so many rules, like her sister and her giving many rules about 'You can only see her [Moira] between 1 to 5.' There's no like, you know, she can spend a night at our house. She has to be home by 5. Kapag humahatsing siya or umuubo, bawal na siyang bumalik for like four or five days.
"That's Bunny and, well, you know, her family, whether her sister or her mom, I don't know. But ang dami ring restrictions. It's not that easy to see my daughter as it appears to be on TV. Bunny, as you can see naman, likes getting a lot of TV time. Like, you know, Angelica Jones and her mom," diretsong pahayag ni Mo.
Sa tuwing umuuwi si Bunny sa Pilipinas ay laging may kakabit na intriga especially about Mo. Ano ang feeling niya tungkol dito?
"Things that happen ten years ago, and it's not really good for the health of my daughter," sabi ni Mo. "Ako, wala akong pakialam about being part of the issue. There has been so many issues in the past that really doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that, parang it ruins our relationship more every time na lumalabas siya. She's just one of those stage moms of herself. You know, parang stage mom siya ng sarili niya, parang ganun.
"But these issues are decades ago already. And you know, we are not Pops [Fernandez] and Martin [Nievera]. We're never married. Of course, we are parents of our daughter. But we're not Pops and Martin. We're not iconic celebrity couples, like Sharon [Cuneta] and Gabby [Concepcion], na kailangan after ten years, kailangan pa ring pag-usapan.
"I mean, what's the difference between me and any other celebrities who had girlfriends before and had a child? I mean, there's so many of us. For some reasons, she [Bunny] needs to find a chance or an opportunity every time she's doing something like this. She invites like TV crews to my daughter's birthday party like a month and three weeks away. And it's like, what's more fun really for you, is it raising a child or raising it publicly? I have no problem naman with my personal life being in public because it's part of my job. Okay lang ‘yan, no problem. I don't want to talk about my daughter, in any aspect, all the time. Kasi it's hard for her."
Pero sinasabi kasi ni Bunny na sinasagot lang niya ang mga itinatanong sa kanya. Ano ang komento ni Mo tungkol dito?
"Of course that's what a TV-loving, attention-loving person... That's an answer that she's supposed to give. Sinabi niya na, I told her daw na she's the one calling TV shows. I know she loves calling. And I know they are calling her but without trying to sound like an asshole... This is gonna sound like an asshole. And when you read it on your columns, I'm gonna look like an asshole. But I'm trying to be as realistic as possible.
"The only reason that they are interviewing Bunny is because of me," sabi ni Mo. "And that is realistic as it is. Kung hindi ako bumalik from the States dito, kasi doon ako nag-aral for college... Kung hindi ako bumalik dito, are you still calling Bunny? Of course not! It's realistic as possible. Yet, she still finds a chance or she's looking for that opportunity to go out and talk about things that either A, medical, kawawa naman yung daughter ko; or B, relationship-wise, it happened ten years ago. We're not iconic showbiz persons," diin ni Mo.
Confusing lang na sinasabi ni Bunny sa interviews niya na okay na sila, pero all of a sudden, hindi na naman okay?
"At sasabihin niya tawagan mo naman yung anak ko. How? You guys are like dictators in that household. When they ask her, ‘Does Mo support your daughter?' She would say, ‘Why don't you ask him?' What are you talking about? Of course, I support my daughter! Why such vague and very leading answers? Like if this is a court room, and you're my lawyer, that's a leading statement. I know I support my daughter financially. She knows that, my family knows that, her family knows that.
"It doesn't matter what others say anymore after that. If you would answer such a leading statement na, ‘Why don't you ask him?' na parang wala akong ginagawa. And that's also unfair. But again, what can you do with a person who just wants to go on TV so badly?" pahayag ni Mo.
Ano ang komento niya sa sinasabi ni Bunny na Moira has found another father figure sa katauhan ng Filipino-American fiancé ni Bunny na si Tom?
"You know, that's really true," sabi ni Mo. "Bunny is gonna get married. I didn't know na hindi pa pala sila kasal. But that's gonna happen. It's the realistic part of life na he is probably more of a father than I am kasi kasama niya si Moira almost every day. They live together. He picks her up sa school. He does all the things a dad can do, because I cannot do it, being here. My reaction is, I'd like to thank him.
"I met him. He's a nice guy. When I was in the States, noong nakita ko siya at na-meet ko siya, si Tom, pinasalamatan ko siya. I said, ‘Thank you for taking such good care of Moira.' Because that's all I really can do, e. It's the reality that I don't have a future with Bunny as a girlfriend, as a wife, or as anything. So, I'm just gonna be realistic that Moira will have a stepdad, that will likely be closer to her than I am because they're gonna be the family. I'm not gonna be the husband.
"So, I have no problems with him. He's a wonderful and very nice person. I adore him. The only reason why...hindi naman ako galit, the only reason na minsan naiinis ako is just after all these years, I just wish that Bunny will not ruin the building of our friendship by always going out on TV and saying very vague things like, ‘Tawagan mo naman siya. Mag-support ka naman minsan.' And exposing these things na either untrue or very exaggerated para lang may drama on TV.
"I don't care if she talks about our relationship. It's ridiculous to talk about it. It's ten years ago pa. But don't make it appear like Moira is still very, very sick. It happened two years [ago]. She's fine now. She's running around. I wish that we don't make her feel na sobrang kawawa na siya. It's not good."
MOIRA'S BIRTHDAY. Gaano siya involved sa preparation para sa birthday party ni Moira sa November?
"Yeah, we're gonna have a birthday party for Moira. And another thing she said on the interview, ‘We'll sent him an invitation.' We're trying to help out on funding this together, setting this up together. Why, it's as if I don't want to be a part of this? You're acting like I don't care.
"‘Tapos yung tinanong ni Ruffa Gutierrez na, ‘Nakausap mo na ba si Mo?' And she's like, ‘Tine-text ko siya, hindi siya sumasagot.' I mean, she was not accurate on things. I was in Europe the whole week! I can't call. I just got back that day. Like Sunday [October 12], The Buzz and Showbiz Central. Saturday night [October 11], I was flying in from Europe. I mean Paris, I even texted her, 'I can't talk right now because I'm in Paris'. I think it's the DNA to always be dramatic. It's the willingness to be a stage mom for yourself. And we see these people all the time in showbiz. You know whom I am talking about."
In-invite daw si Bunny to appear in Showbiz Central, but ni-reject daw ito ni Bunny. How true?
"They said that she's gonna be on The Buzz on Sunday. 'Is there any way we can contact Bunny?' I'm not her enemy. I consider her as a friend. We're not best friends, but we're alright, you know. When I go to the States, kinakausap ko siya. We go out to dinner. After dinner, I take her to her house. I play video games in their living room. I hang out with her fiancé. It's not as bad as it looks like on TV. When you see it on TV it's like we hate each other. Doon ako nagdududa, na parang hindi tayo okay.
"The reason why they [Showbiz Central] invited her is because she's gonna be on The Buzz. They ask me if it's okay for Bunny to appear also on Showbiz Central, even on taped interview. At least if she's there, we can show that we don't hate each other. I don't hate her. Nabubuwisit lang ako na minsan lumalabas na ganun na if the next time I saw her, ‘Hey Bunny, I know you love being on TV. Next time you're on TV, how about for our daughter's sake make it look the truth that we are all right, we are okay?'"
How does he want this to end, yung intriga sa kanila ni Bunny?
"I want it to end by you guys not asking me questions!" biro ni Mo sa PEP. "I don't know. You know, I thought it ended years and years ago. I thought it ended last year noong pumunta siya rito. I thought it all ended four weeks ago when we all talked on TV again. But apparently it did not.
"I'm sure you guys will be bored. People will be bored. I'll wait for you guys to be bored and then you can ask her. I'm sure she will answer. She loves to answer. But you guys will be bored. Because again, we are not as popular as she thinks we are. I know my place in this industry. I'm not an A-list celebrity. I'm not one of the big names. So, you guys will be bored of it. So, I was hoping it will be sooner."
Any message for Bunny?
"Think of us first. I know who you are. And you know who I am. I hope they pay you well. Sayang din yun, e. TV does pay pretty well. I hope you got everything you want. I hope this decision that you make by doing all of these, if you truly believe in your mind, as weird as it seems, if this is the right call, go on, do it.
"But always remember that the more you do this, the harder for you and Moira and I to get closer and closer. The harder it is to achieve that goal, kung palaging ginagawa niya yung nagdadrama at nagpapalaki ng isyu that no one cares about. Naiipit lang yung bata. Sinasabi ng mga tao na si Moira may brain cancer. The only reason that people say that is because of you. I didn't say she has brain cancer. I didn't say anything."
Nagpahabol pa ng tanong ang PEP kay Mo, kung sa tingin niya ang ginagawang pagpapa-interview ni Bunny at pagsasalita tungkol sa kanya at kay Moira ay paghahanda na rin sa posibleng pagpasok ni Moira sa showbiz.
"No, I can see that their future is in the States. I don't think that they are trying to rev up to have a future here. I don't know, you can ask her [Bunny]. But I don't think so. And my daughter doesn't even speak Tagalog. She doesn't look like she has the flair for television or anything," pagwawakas ni Mo.