Now that her brother is President, this is an opportunity for her to do something positive?something bigger than herself
The author posted this on Facebook, directed at those who signed up on the ?Despedida for Kris? Facebook page.

HOLD YOUR HORSES.

Kris Aquino is the Philippines? number one brand, and perhaps one of the Bureau of Internal Revenue?s most esteemed contributors. As with most brands, either you love her or you hate her. There?s never a gray area.

Every time she mentioned the name and mobile number of the designer who made her clothes in her game show ?Game Ka Na Ba?? and currently on ?The Buzz,? aspiring Filipino women, especially the OFWs with TFC subscriptions, would call up the designer (usually from overseas) to place an order of what she was wearing on the show. That?s the draw of the Kris Aquino brand.

She is the first Philippine celebrity to have an eponymous magazine, even before Sharon had her own. Only Oprah can have that audience pull.

She endorses practically every product?from rubbing alcohol and mobile phones to cakes and fast-food joints?because advertisers believe she can sell. And yes, she does deliver the millions. The ROI is astounding.

Many young Filipinas aspire to be like her. She has fair skin and comes from a good family?well, not just a good family, but a family that has shaped the country?s history. Her parents are modern-day national heroes with great marquee value.

It doesn?t help that her father?s portrait is on P500 bills. Since her father passed away prematurely, having lots of P500 bills in her possession might be comforting for her. This is just my Freudian analysis; I?m not saying she?s materialistic.

Kris Aquino?s honesty is what has endeared her to most of her fans. She?s not afraid to bare her innermost thoughts, and that vulnerability is held dear by her loving admirers. That very same honesty is also her Waterloo, because she doesn?t hold back in airing her thoughts, even if it hurts.

Real trouper

When she returned to the Philippines after her father was assassinated, Dong Puno asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. She unabashedly answered, ?I want to become like Sharon Cuneta!? With that statement, her fate was sealed.

Does anyone remember how the public went gaga when she did her first onscreen kissing scene with Gabby Concepcion? Cory, the president at the time, was not spared from being asked her reaction on show-biz talk shows. Was this part of her daughter?s plan to become a ?Sharon??

Remember the live interview she did for Korina Sanchez after the Joey Marquez incident? How the entire country was riveted to the TV for hours, and the same incident was discussed for weeks in offices, schools and family get-togethers?

Kris, in the process, got high approval ratings across sectors of society. In a way, through Gabriela, her tearful confession of domestic violence enabled Congress to pass the law on the protection of women and children. Meanwhile, Joey Marquez?s career nose-dived.

So there you go. Did we create a monster? Or our hearts just melted for that 12-year-old girl wearing black, wire-framed glasses whose father just passed away in the summer of 1983?

We created the Kris Aquino Brand. Period.

Honestly, I?m not a fan of Kris Aquino, simply because I?m not a part of her demographics. I make fun of Kris Aquino, as I make fun of Willie Revillame and Sharon Cuneta, simply because they?re celebrities. To be a celebrity is to be fair game.

Since I?m not a celebrity, I will never have the opportunity to penetrate their circle. I?m one of the faceless millions whose opinion doesn?t matter to Kris Aquino, whether I like her or not.

Big star

But one thing is certain. I really enjoyed ?Magic to Win 5,? a Hong Kong-produced film released in 1991. Kris played a Cathay Pacific stewardess who kept a talking dog? possessed by a happy ghost?as pet. For a moment, I thought: Would Kris Aquino become a big regional actress, making HK her base? I was wrong.

Instead, she worked hard to build her brand in her own country and become a star. Bigger than the megastar, she?s now a, uh, giga, tera, zetta star.

I just hope she?s aware of the power she wields. And I pray that she uses that power to transform this country into something bigger than herself, and not waste it on mundane show-biz activities.

Now that her brother is President, this is an opportunity for her to do something positive, great and wonderful. Something she missed out on when her mother was president.

For that, I wish her all the luck.

Stay, Magic, stay.