SB19’s Stell Ajero defends his sexuality: ‘What’s the problem?’

His boldness and openness make SB 19's Stell Ajero an ideal advocate for many causes beyond simply accepting his sexuality as a non-issue.

Here is his latest statement on rumors about him being gay: “I don’t mind na kung if ever man isipin nila na ganon. Kasi if ever man na ganon ako, what’s the problem? May issue ba tayo if, for example, maging bakla ako or anything naman na matawag niyo sa akin... I don’t think mayroon kang kinalaman sa akin (I don’t mind if people think that way. Because if that were the case, what’s the problem? If I were really gay, what’s the issue? Do we have a problem if I were to be called gay or anything else? I don’t think it concerns you).”

The statement might seem redundant, but it’s clear. This was his response to Boy Abunda during SB19’s recent guest appearance on GMA-7’s Fast Talk.

The guest appearance was likely meant to promote the documentary on the band’s Pagtatag! world concert tour in 2023, which began screening in theaters on 28 August. The film appears to be the first-ever documentary about a Pinoy boy band to receive a wide theatrical release. This screening is proof that SB19 is the leading Pinoy pop band today and potentially for many years to come.

We hope Ajero will speak his mind firmly and boldly on other important issues that need a brave and well-followed advocate like him. He tends to speak his mind only when asked, so we hope media people and respectable vloggers will ask him about authentic issues affecting the Filipino populace.

We also hope Ajero will be asked about the role of grandstanding senators during inquiries that should aid in creating effective legislation.

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We don’t find anything wrong with Willie Revillame hanging up on a mother who was seeking financial help on Revillame’s TV5 show Wil To Win, especially after it was discovered by Revillame himself that she was not a regular viewer of the program.

Revillame personally called the woman, only to find out that she regularly watches GMA-7’s Family Feud, which airs at the same time as Wil To Win.

This incident occurred during a recent episode of Wil To Win. A woman answered the phone, and in the conversation, she sounded “cold” in her responses to Revillame, asking who was calling and which program it was.

Revillame read the woman’s letter, in which she stated that she wanted to join the game show in hopes of winning the P50,000 cash prize for her children’s school expenses and her medical bills.

She confirmed that she was the one who wrote the letter and then asked Revillame, “Saan po ba kayong programa (Which program are you from)?"

The TV host responded, “Programa? Eh, ano bang pinapanood n’yong programa (Program? What program are you watching)?”

“Sa GMA po, Family Feud,” the woman responded.

Revillame appeared disappointed, tried to laugh it off and went on to say, “Ay ganu’n ba? Family Feud? Eh sayang po, Wil To Win ‘to. Eh salamat po. Sayang no? Sana mag-Wil To Win kayo. Sige po, enjoy watching Family Feud. Ba-bye! (Oh, is that so? Family Feud? That's too bad, this is Wil To Win. But thank you. What a pity, right? I hope you join Wil To Win. Okay then, enjoy watching Family Feud. bye-bye)!” Then he ended the call.

Notice that Revillame did not sound rude at all. He even thanked the woman for answering the call and simply suggested that she start watching Wil To Win.

We have nothing against Family Feud; we like it, too, just like the mother does. However, if we want to seek a windfall from Wil To Win, it is reasonable to make it a habit to watch the show regularly before writing Revillame a letter.

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A rousing show staged by the London-based ABBA tribute band is now hailed as the first international concert held in Passi City, Iloilo. Simply known as Mania, the concert took place at the 2,000-seater Passi City Arena on the night of 25 August.

It rained a few hours before the scheduled showtime of 6 p.m., but the people of Passi and nearby towns trickled in by 7 p.m., and the arena was nearly full by 7:30 p.m. as the band began to perform songs originally popularized by ABBA, a pop band formed in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972 by couples Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus, and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

The members spell the group’s name in all caps as it is meant to be an acronym for the first letters of their first names. The group’s name is also a palindrome, reading the same backward. The band may or may not be aware that “Abba” is the Aramaic term for “my Father,” referring to God.

In their heyday, from 1972 to 1982, the original ABBA sold over 600 million records, leading to the production of the famous Mamma Mia! movie in 1992 and its subsequent musical franchise.

The band broke up in 1982 when the couples themselves separated. The ABBA tribute band was formed in 1991 and has toured every continent, playing over 3,000 live concerts in more than 35 countries.

The tribute band flew to Iloilo fresh from a series of concerts across the Philippines, including the Newport Performing Arts Theater at Resorts World Manila and Batangas Lakelands in Balete, Batangas.

But the people of Passi and nearby towns nearly filled the huge arena, not only for the tribute band but also for the solo opening act, Ysabelle Palabrica, a rising “Princess of Revivals” from the nearby town of Bingawan. Palabrica has released revivals of Vehnee Saturno’s songs “Kaba” and “Mr. Kupido,” with Saturno himself as producer. (She will release her first Christmas single on 1 September, also written by Saturno in Tagalog).

Palabrica performed her two singles, and the crowd loved her for those ditties for young lovers. At only 17, Palabrica is the daughter of the youthful Bingawan mayor, Mark Palabrica, who appears to be in his 20s but is actually in his early 50s. His wife, Jean Palabrica (Ysabelle’s mother), looks as young as he does, though she is in her late 40s.

The tribute band has been performing in the Philippines since 2013. Its members include Adam Robertson, Ewa Scott, Clairemma, Steven Galert, Richard Smeaton, Lewis Cunningham, Kirsty McConnell and Mhairi Wilson.

The band is known as “AbbaMania.” It is the group that keeps ABBA’s music dynamically alive, including their hit dance floor classics.

AbbaMania’s song choices for the Passi concert included “Dancing Queen,” “Voulez-Vous,” “Chiquitita,” “I Had a Dream,” “Waterloo,” “Fernando,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “Super Trouper,” “The Winner Takes It All,” “Lay All Your Love on Me” and “Mamma Mia.

With thrilling encouragement from the band, the people of Passi stood up, danced and waved their phone lights during many of the numbers. Not only the young ones but even adults and senior citizens were shaking their bodies. What an audience!

Not all audiences are similarly responsive. In April 2013, a concert reviewer for the DAILY TRIBUNE noted that “there was a glaring absence of the audience dancing to the songs. For this, AbbaMania wasn’t to blame.”

The reviewer ruefully added, “Even in videoke sessions, people dance to these (ABBA songs)!”

The AbbaMania show in Passi City received full support from the city government. Passi City officials watched from the front row, stood up to dance and roared along with many of the numbers performed by the Tribute band. They also shone and held up their phone lights!

Passi is a progressive city. The recent show may not be the first and last concert of AbbaMania: The ABBA Tribute Band in the area, as the band has thrilled audiences in Cebu and Bacolod cities several times.