Gabby Concepcion signs up with ABS-CBN

by BOY VILLASANTA

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Controversial comeback actor Gabby Concepcion signed a three-picture contract with ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation’s Star Cinema Tuesday to revive his career in show business, which was put on hold for more than a decade.

According to Concepcion’s new manager, FLT Films producer Rose Flaminiano, her ward has a two-year contract with ABS-CBN. The contract gives him projects not only in the movies but television as well.

"A soap opera is being readied for him," said Flaminiano, also known as Mommy Rose in entertainment circles.

A film with Concepcion's daughter KC is underway, but according to Flaminiano, there will be immediate projects he has to consider before teaming up with his daughter.

Concepcion was warm when he met with former colleagues in the entertainment field, many of whom he has not seen since he left the country in the mid-nineties.

He said he is attuned to intrigues in show business. He is aware that he has been a subject of discussions whether he is here or in the US.

"Ang sabi nga ni Gretchen Barretto, life is never exciting without intrigues. Hindi ka pag-uusapan kung walang intriga," Concepcion said.

Dealing with court cases

Concepcion went back to the Philippines Sunday afternoon after a dozen years abroad. The following day, he immediately submitted himself to court procedures when he posted a bond worth P6,000 to the Metropolitan Manila Regional Trial Court on nine counts of falsification of documents including bigamy filed by his estranged wife Jenny Syquia.

Flaminiano said the cases were already stale since the petitioner had already signed an affidavit of desistance when the accused paid her a total of P9 million in damages.

"Sa batas kasi, kailangang present ang idinemanda para mapawalang-bisa ang kaso," said Flaminiano, whose husband Jose Flaminiano is a lawyer.

Concepcion is ready to face a lot of rumors including his supposed snub of actress Jolina Magdangal’s text messages when their planned teamup in a movie was temporarily shelved.

"I texted her. I didn’t ignore her," he said in his defense.

Meanwhile, the still-dashing matinee idol of the eighties wants to spend his early days in the country visiting friends and relatives he missed while he was away. One of the friends he wants to see is his one-time producer and adviser Boy C. de Guia who is living at the Golden Acres Home for the Aged.

"I wanna see him not immediately but I wanna find out what has happened to him and why is he confined (there)," he said.

Concepcion signed the contract with ABS-CBN in the presence of the company’s President Charo Santos-Concio, Star Cinema’s head Malou Santos and Concepcion's manager Flaminiano.