ILIGAN City ― There has been some furor over the recent development of the noontime variety show called "Eat Bulaga," My friend Fely said when she came over to the office. That was, after the civilities, as we haven't seen each other for some time.

"Yeah, " she said, further, " a case of two heads is better than one.." And then she continued babbling that the "heads" are that of the management of Tape, Inc. on one hand and the "TVJ" or "Dabarkads' on the other. She told me further that Tape means "Television and Production Exponents, Inc."

"We had been entertained by the said show for 44 years," she added, after clearing her throat. "But only a guy called Nothing lasts forever," she added by way of a joke.

"What?" I asked with feigned ignorance. And then, she said, "Tape, by the way, is owned by Romy Jalosjos Sr. and Tony Tuviera, with the former having a 75 percent stake while the latter, at 25 %.

"How do you know all this?" I asked, incredulous.

"I googled it. You know, everything can be googled these days. If you know how to search!" Was it an innuendo that I didn't know how?

"So, they separated."

"But I heard that they have now their separate shows. "Eat Bulaga" remains on the same TV network while the trio along with their 'Kabarkads' transferred to another, to TV 5. And showing it early this month with another name. But they are still fighting it out in court as to who carries the said name."

My friend said all those as if she had the authority and all the knowledge on the matter. Of course, she really has. With all those searching and searching. And I remember the mantra of a candidate for a senator named "Sergio" alias "Serge" saying in the campaign, "e--Serge mo!" Which really had a double meaning.

And then, my friend continued that now, it's a case of "he said' on one hand and "he said" on the other hand.

"What do you mean?" I asked. The Jalosjos team or Tape said that they wanted to do some cost-cutting by getting rid of some of those involved because the show was losing. Yet on the other hand, the TVJ team said that it wasn't losing because, in the 2022 statement filed with the SEC, it had a net income of over P200 million."

Analyzing for a time, the situation, I said: "So now, it's a case of 'too many cooks spoil the broth!" I said with conviction.

"That's right, my friend. You are very correct there!" She said with equal conviction in her tone too.

I though think it was a simple analysis of a complicated situation. And then I remembered the situation of the fate of the "world-class" Palao market here. Which too had been bogged down because of some "analysis and observations" of the new administration under Mayor Frederick Siao. Among them, is the "safety of the people here," whatever that means. And the Siao admin really went to great lengths to prove that they are right in having the contractor of the then Celso Regencia administration, as mayor, the BM Marketing, of Tacloban city kicked out and find another.

"It's just politicized," said Jun Lino Bacus, a die-hard supporter of Regencia. "It's kicked out because it's not theirs, and um…um…" Of course, one can read what he was trying to imply.

Yet the case of the "Eat Bulaga" show still went on I saw. Fely said some info on Jalosjos, Sr. like being an ex-convict.

"But this has no bearing on this 'tug of war' between the two parties. "Oh, by the way," she added, TVJ means Tito, Vic, and Joey. Which means Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon." As if I really am ignorant of the matter! Which too is a simplistic way of reading me.,

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