Game show host queen Kris Aquino maybe six weeks pregnant with her second child by husband cage star James Yap but wants to wait for another check up with her doctor before really confirming the report.

“Had my check up w/ Dr. Pastorfide. My yolk sac was visible sa ultra sound but no fetal pole yet because i'm going on my 6th wk pa lang. I go back on Wed to 100% confirm that my pregnancy is viable. We'll also do all my blood works & other tests to make sure I'll have healthy pregnancy,” Aquino told ABS-CBN’s Mario Dumaual through a text message.

The expectant mom said she'd prefer to give other details of her pregnancy and be interviewed after the Holy Week.

In another text message she said her check-up next Wednesday would be “when we can be sure 100% sure”.

Aquino’s message rooted from abs-cbNEWS.com's breaking report that the host-actress had already announced her pregnancy during the taping of her newest game show “Wheel of Fortune.”

In the report, it said that Aquino was told by her gynecologist that there were already heartbeats heard during the Doppler Test.

Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino in real life, is the daughter of former president Corazon Aquino and the late senator Benigno Aquino Jr., both key figures in toppling the Marcos regime.


The expectant mom has a son, Joshua, with her former live-in-partner, actor Philip Salvador. On April 19, 2007, Aquino gave birth to her first child with Yap, by caesarean section.

She has been dubbed as the "Queen of Talk" because of her success in hosting talk shows. Aquino was also crowned the Box Office Queen for her hit movies "Feng Shui", "So…Happy Together" and "Sukob."

Her current television programs in the Kapamilya network are the daily talk show "Boy & Kris" and the game show "Wheel of Fortune."
Source: www.abs-cbnNEWS.com

abs-cbnNEWS.com

The Quezon City Regional Trial Court threw out a petition filed by GMA-7 which sought to stop ABS-CBN from airing reports about the alleged TV ratings manipulation scandal that purpotedly cast "dishonor, discredit and disrepute" to the former.

Judge Alexander Balut in his ruling denied GMA-7's petition for preliminary injunction on three grounds:

1) GMA-7's petition to stop ABS-CBN's supposedly libelous reports comes too late--the reports have already been aired;

2) GMA-7's petition for injunction goes beyond the prayer contained in its complaint; and

3) GMA-7's petition for injunction constitutes prior restraint of freedom of expression and, therefore, unconstitutional.

Judge Balut in his ruling said that since ABS-CBN had already aired its reports, there is nothing for the court to stop. "It is clear that plaintiff’s causes of action are based on acts that were already consummated. Having already been committed, these acts can no longer be enjoined. Simply stated, there is actually nothing to enjoin," wrote the judge.

The judge also ruled that it "appears" as though GMA-7 "seeks to enjoin acts beyond the prayer in the complaint", adding that "[this] cannot be done. It is anathema to an existing jurisprudence on the matter."

Unconstitutional

Finally, the judge said that the court cannot grant the petition for preliminary injunction because doing so would violate the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression.

"To issue the writ of preliminary injunction in this case would be to impermissibly interfere defendants' freedom of expression. It would be constitutive of a previous restraint or censorship, which no less than the Constitution abhors," the judge ruled.

Balut also said that GMA-7 failed to lay down enough justifiable grounds to warrant prior restraint of ABS-CBN's reports.

"Applying one of the tests, i.e., The Clear and Present Danger Rule, the Court finds that plaintiff failed to lay down factual bases constituting a clear and present danger that would justify prior restraint. In fact, the bone of contention is purely civil in nature, such that the "substantive evil" which the State has the ultimate right to prevent is wanting."

The judge also wrote in his decision that GMA-7 may still avail of other legal remedies outside of a preliminary injunction (filing libel cases, etc.,) if it feels that it has been wronged by past or future reports aired by ABS-CBN:

"If it believed defendants' acts are contemptuous or obstructive of a free and fair hearing on the case, plaintiff has other remedies provided under the Rules of Court."

However, Judge Balut also warned ABS-CBN not to abuse the right to free expression, either to destroy GMA-7's reputation or influence the outcome of cases being heard in court:

"Needless to state, pending the trial of this case on its merits, free expression must not be used as an instrument to perpetrate unlawful ends to the obstruction of the administration of justice."

In its petition to the court, GMA-7 claimed that ABS-CBN tailored its news reports on the TV ratings manipulation scandal to portray the former as "a fraudster and manipulator of the ratings in Bacolod City by deliberately twisting and distorting the statement of Ms. Reformina, the general manager of AGB Nielsen..."

GMA-7 further complained that ABS-CBN's reports on the scandal were "orchestrated and/or scripted and intentionally perpetrated to defame, impeach and besmirch the reputation of plaintiff GMA 7".

Inhibitions

Judge Balut is the third judge to hear the P15-million libel case filed by GMA-7 against ABS-CBN. The first judge, Judge Samuel Gaerlan, inhibited himself following a motion for his inhibition by ABS-CBN. Gaerlan had earlier admitted that a member of ABS-CBN's legal department is his cousin.

The second judge to hear the case, Judge Henri Jean Paul Inting, also inhibited himself following a motion filed by ABS-CBN.

Inting had earlier granted a petition for a temporary restraining order filed by GMA-7 against ABS-CBN's airing of reports related to the TV ratings controversy.

ABS-CBN then filed a petition for certiorari before the Court of Appeals to stop the implementation of the TRO. ABS-CBN maintained that "the issue of corruption as brought out by the discovery of the TV ratings manipulation is a matter of clear public interest, and therefore needs to be reported on."

The network also deplored the fact that the TRO "grants GMA Network a virtual immunity from accusation. No person or entity has ever enjoyed such a privilege, not even the highest public officers of the land.

In his order for inhibition, Inting said that he is following "the Supreme Court ruling that at the very first sign of lack of faith and trust in his actions, whether well-grounded or not, the judge has no other alternative but to inhibit himself from the case."

"Not the end"

GMA-7 in an official statement said that the libel case against ABS-CBN will continue despite Balut's denial of its petition. The statement noted that Balut based his ruling partly on evidence that Inting had earlier dismissed.

"Current Judge Balut allowed what the previous judge found irrelevant - and that was to allow more testimonies from other ABS-CBN informants. In the hearing before Judge Balut, these ABS-CBN informants admitted they had no proof of employment with GMA, NO ID, no contracts."

Reacting to the court's ruling GMA Network legal counsel Gener Asuncion said that "Freedom of expression does not mean they (ABS-CBN) have the right to destroy another's reputation. An abuse of freedom also destroys it."

In the statement GMA-7 said that it would continue efforts to stop ABS-CBN from airing its reports. "This is not the end of the libel suit. ABS-CBN wanted the end of the TRO and they wanted to block the injuction because ABS-CBN wanted to continue atacking the reputation of GMA Network. We will try not to let them do this."

By REYMA BUAN-DEVEZA
abs-cbnNEWS.com

It's been a long time coming.

Showbiz royalty KC Concepcion became emotional and shed tears as she shared the experience of acting for her very first television drama project with ABS-CBN’s “Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK).”

“Naiiyak nga po ako kasi parang hindi ko alam na naging dream come true pala siya na ito ang kinalakihan ko. Hindi ko na experience ang fulfillment na ito that came to reality until now,” KC told members of the entertainment media.

“I'm very, very happy to be here for another reason. So, excited about this experience, about this offering, this project. It took me 22 years to get here to be speaking to you about this TV debut, this acting project, this acting experience,” she added.

KC, Maria Kristina Cassandra Concepcion in real life, is the daughter of Megastar Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion.

Cuneta, who is now married to Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, has previously said that she did not want KC to join local showbiz.

KC said that she really enjoyed her acting debut and felt overwhelmed doing it with her very own Kapamilya network. She credited her mom for exposing her early to the entertainment business.

"Of course my inspiration for this is really my mom because dinadala niya ako sa set nong bata pa ako at doon ako gumagawa ng homework ko at doon kami nagba-bonding together. So hindi ko alam (na) malaki pala talaga iyong influence na iyon sa akin in terms of the craft at napapanood ko siya doing iyong commitment niya doon sa trabaho niya," she said.

The MMK special sees KC play the role of Darlene, a young lady who lives a comfortable life until a tragedy leaves her family without a father. From a rich and sheltered party-girl, Darlene becomes her family’s breadwinner.

Concepcion will be joined by multi-talented actor Ricky Davao, model and actor Derek Ramsay and singer actress Agot Isidro. The show is directed by Jerry Sineneng.

The MMK special will be aired this coming Friday, February 15, as the Valentine offering of Kapamilya network.