Here are, in my opinion, the top 8 noteworthy local trending news and personalities of 2014. Coming in at 8th place:
8. WHO GOT HITCHED?
In the local showbiz scene, 2014 saw a rise of celebrities who got engaged or tied the knot. The most notable of which will have to be the grand wedding of Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera who will be tying the knot on December 31st this year. Preparations seem to be impressive, with their prenup set in Dubai and Marian's gown fashioned by the world-renowned Michael Cinco. Their entourage will include the who's who of Philippine showbiz and politics, with no less than President Pnoy himself who's rumored to have a special part in the ceremony.
The engagement of Sen. Chiz Escudero and Heart Evangelista also spurred a bit of news with their wedding location and Heart's familial struggles. The latest wedding of Aiza Seguerra to her partner, Liza Dino, in the US made headlines as well. And then there was also that ambitious flash mob proposal of John Pratts to Isabel Oli. Other notable celebrities who got hitched or got engaged this year include Drew Arellano and Iya Villania, Jericho Rosales and Kim Jones, Yael Yuzon and Karylle, Yeng Constantino and Victor Asuncion, Bianca Gonzales and JC Intal, and the controversial Chito Miranda and Neri Naig. 2014 was indeed a year full of love in local showbiz.
7. BROADWAY DIVA
It was a whirlwind year for Broadway and West End star, Lea Salonga, who has recently become a regular presence in Philippine television with her being the coach of The Voice Kids and the latest second season of The Voice of the Philippines. Outspoken, frank and maybe a bit conceited to some, Lea Salonga remained a hot topic of discussion in 2014 for her being vocal about her opinions on certain matters. The latest of which would have to be her rants on Twitter this December regarding the leaks made online on who made it to the knockout rounds of The Voice of the Philippines Season 2. Being social media savvy, she was also very vocal about her frustration last November over Facebook accounts pretending to be her daughter. And who could forget that Daniel Padilla gaffe regarding an auditionee and the Darren Espanto comment that the latter should have won The Voice Kids?
But then, Lea Salonga is Lea Salonga. Her fellow coaches in The Voice of the Philippines have come to her defense and have affirmed that she had all the right to voice out her sentiments. True to form, Miss Salonga blew all her critics away and displayed her vocal prowess with impressive performances at the anniversary concert of Miss Saigon in West End and at the opening show of The Theater at Solaire with a twelve-minute rendition of memorable tunes of her past roles on stage. For me, Lea Salonga still stands as one of Philippines' icons in the entertainment industry.
6. THE PACMAN
Manny Pacquiao has had a busy 2014. Possibly the most popular Filipino athlete of all time, the pambansang kamao produced not one but two boxing victories this year. Following the win over Brandon Rios in November 2013, Manny sought a rematch with Timothy Bradley after that controversial win back in 2012. In a tough fight last April 2014 held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the Pacman came out the better fighter by gaining a unanimous decision victory from the judges. And just seven months from that fight, the local boxing hero followed it up by facing WBO Light Welterweight champion Chris Algieri in Macau last November 2014. Pacquiao ruled the fight, scored six knockdowns and gained a hard earned victory via unanimous decision. Now the sights are set for 2015 on what could possibly be the long overdue fight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Now that will be one for the books.
And if that wasn't enough for him, aside from his work as a sitting congressman of Sarangani province, he surprised everyone by announcing his intent to join the PBA as playing coach of Kia Motors, making him the oldest rookie drafted, the shortest player and the first dual-sport athlete in the PBA. His personal life also merited an achievement with the arrival of his fifth child, Israel.
2014 seemed to be very productive for Manny Pacquiao. Let's see what this will result to when he faces familiar foes in the form of the BIR and IRS.
5. SENATOR TRIO
Senators Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile earned a spot in the list this year. The senator trio came under fire in 2014 and has gained notoriety with their supposed involvement in the PDAF scam and contributing to the alleged bogus foundations of Janet Lim-Napoles. In what was considered a media circus in the Senate, privilege speeches were made, accusations were hurled, prayer vigils were held and charges were eventually filed against the three embattled senators.
In June of this year, the Sandiganbayan issued warrants of arrest for plunder and malversation of public funds against the three senators and more than 30 others. Revilla and Estrada surrendered to the Sandiganbayan and were eventually detained in Camp Crame. Due to his health and frail condition, Senator Enrile, on the other hand, was placed under hospital arrest at the Philippine General Hospital.
As of this writing, investigations on this political scandal involving the senator trio are currently ongoing.
4. VP UNDER FIRE
This year, the Philippine vice-president managed to steal the limelight from the president. 2014 has been extra controversial for the country's second highest ranking official, Vice President Jejomar Binay. Indeed, it has been an eventful year for him when a former ally in the form of Ernesto Mercado disclosed questionable decisions and projects made when Binay was still mayor of Makati. From allegations of an overpriced car park to a costly high school building in Makati to a supposed luxurious farm estate in Batangas, VP Binay had his plate full.
But he refused to budge. Binay snubbed a Senate invitation to answer all the allegations tossed at him. He also backed out from a debate with Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, citing that the latter was incapable of handling debates. His camp also resorted to diversionary tactics which eventually backfired.
As a result, his ratings have been plummeting. The 2016 presidential hopeful saw his chances dropped to 26% by November from a high of 41% last June. His trust ratings as vice president also got affected, sliding to 45% from 66% in September.
Let's see what his political machinery can come up with to save him from this mess. 2016 is still a long way ahead though. Anything can happen.
3. ICE, ICE BABY
Who can ever forget that craze called the ice bucket challenge?
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was a dare involving a bucket of ice water on someone's head to promote awareness of the disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and encourage donations to research. The challenge urged participants of having ice water poured over them and then nominating at least three persons to do the same within 24 hours or forfeit it by way of donating to the foundation.
The phenomenon went viral on social media around June to August 2014 and Filipinos gamely participated. From local celebrities like Anne Curtis, Vice Ganda, Kris Aquino, to Pinoy international stars like Lea Salonga and Apl.de.Ap., to politicians like Bongbong Marcos, Kim Henares and Leila De Lima, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge took the online world by storm. I just didn't like it when some crummy individuals took to the challenge for the sake of having fun or just showing off.
2. STUPID IS FOREVER
Known for her fearless quips and sharp tongue, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago lands high in my top local trending newsmakers of 2014. Thanks to her quotable quotes and witty punchlines, the feisty senator has been a regular in the public forum circuit this year, from graduation ceremonies to awarding rites. Tagged as Asia's Iron Lady, her comments have since generated an online trend of memes in Facebook and Twitter.
Likewise, Sen. Santiago continues to be a vocal critic on anything pertaining to government corruption and crime, fearlessly exposing suspects in legislative investigations with her legal brilliance. That is why she was elected in the United Nations as judge of the International Criminal Court, the first Filipino and first Asian from a developing country to receive such honor. Sadly, illness forced her to resign from that post. In June 2014, she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
But that didn't stop her. She bravely fought back with her signature humor and claimed that her health has vastly improved after a series of treatments. She still continues to champion against crime and corruption with her intense tirades coupled with a sense of humor. She even managed to publish a book entitled, Stupid Is Forever, a collection of her quotable quotes and witty punchlines. And now, she's eyeing again on possible running for the 2016 presidential elections. There's definitely no stopping this Iron Lady.
1. SCANDALS, SCANDALS, SCANDALS
Filipinos love their scandals. And boy, 2014 had a good deal of them.
The hottest of them all came in the form of a bruised and beaten Vhong Navarro. Last January of this year, the comedian and It's Showtime host hogged the headlines when he was allegedly beaten up and abused by a group of men led by businessman, Cedric Lee, inside a condo unit in Taguig after an apparent sexual rendezvous with model Deniece Cornejo. The parties seemed to have varying versions of the incident with fingers pointing at each other. Eventually, Cornejo accused and charged Navarro of rape while the TV host filed illegal detention charges, serious physical injuries and extortion that placed Lee's and Cornejo's group in jail. A diversionary allegation also came out from a Roxanne Cabanero accusing Vhong of rape as well. Both rape charges were later dismissed though, and just this September, Cedric Lee and Deniece Cornejo posted bail. This on-going saga brought about a series of online memes, text jokes and video parodies. No wonder Vhong Navarro became Google Philippines' most searched term for 2014.
And then on July 2014, another scandal also took the limelight - the Paolo Bediones sex video. It can be remembered that a sex video of Bediones with an unidentified woman was circulating around the web and social media. Rumors were there had been three sex videos. Mr. Bediones sought the help of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Division after receiving a message from someone asking for a ransom. His TV network, however, supported Bediones amidst the scandal.
Another scandal that came to light this year involved Vhong Navarro's co-host and best friend, Billy Joe Crawford. Sometime September of this year, Billy Crawford got arrested and detained after he had allegedly gone wild at a police precinct in Bonifacio Global City. According to the reports, the TV host supposedly punched and damaged the precinct's glass doors out of frustration, prompting the officers on duty to arrest him. Crawford has since apologized about the incident.
In the local Cebu front, let's not forget the infamous "Beautiful Cebu Sholifter" named Jobelle Bascug. Earlier this year, she was charged with estafa for allegedly shoplifting more than Php20,000 worth of merchandise from a boutique shop in a local mall. She struck again and made headlines later this year when she supposedly ran off after availing hair and nail services from a local salon shop. But that's not all. A local Cebu resort also made claims that she failed to settle her bills amounting to Php15,000. Miss Bascug has since settled internally with the affected parties and pledged to seek treatment.
So there you have it. 2014 is almost over guys! Did your newsmakers make it to the list? Let me know your thoughts and reactions in the comments section.
Eight cents deposited!
Credits: Yahoo! Philippines, Rappler.com, ABS-CBN News, Wikipedia
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