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Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • Friday, June 18, 2021 B5

R. Kelly seeks to shake up defense team ahead of NYC trial

NEW YORK—Jailed R&B singer R. Kelly wants to shake up his legal defense team two months before he is set to go on trial in New York on federal racketeering charges.

His top two attorneys, Steve Greenberg and Michael Leonard, of Chicago, filed a motion this week seeking to withdraw from the long-delayed case, saying it would be “impossible” for them “to properly represent Mr. Kelly under the current circumstances.”

US District Judge Ann Donnelly did not immediately grant the motion, requesting more details about the apparent falling out among Kelly’s team of lawyers.

“Sometimes you can’t save someone from themselves,” Greenberg wrote on Twitter this week, “no matter how hard you try.”

A request for comment was sent Thursday to Greenberg and Leonard.

Two other attorneys for Kelly, Thomas A. Farinella and Nicole Becker Blank, told the judge the shakeup won’t affect Kelly’s August 9 trial date in Brooklyn federal court. They said Kelly fired Greenberg and Leonard.

Kelly, 54, is accused of leading an enterprise made up of his managers, bodyguards and other employees who helped him recruit women and girls for sex. Federal prosecutors say the group selected victims at concerts and other venues and arranged for them to travel to see Kelly.

The Grammy Award-winning singer denies ever abusing anyone.

Kelly also faces numerous sex-related charges in Illinois and Minnesota and is scheduled to stand trial in September in Chicago federal court. AP

Wanted: ‘Extinct or Alive’

FORREST GALANTE is an American biologist and conservationist. But he has been called many names, like “international adventurer” and “parachute scientist”. The adventurer part is self-explanatory but a scientist who parachutes? It is a critique of what he does, which is to go to a foreign country or some isolated forest, and with the help of his own staff and crew tap local resources, document wildlife there, collect specimens, and then leave.

But isn’t that what all other sciences do—from history to anthropology, from botany to zoology?

Without foregoing that critique, it cannot be denied that Forrest Galante, as the host of Extinct or Alive, brings into our living rooms a new way of looking at conservation and wildlife.

The premise is simple, which is to look for animals deemed extinct; the process, excruciatingly difficult and dangerous. The program has a simple aim: find that animal feared to be gone, take a photograph or video of it, and the mission is accomplished. For scientific purposes, a specimen is taken from the animal, which presupposes that Forrest has indeed not only captured the animal but touched it for a considerable time.

In the episodes I watched, these elements are apparent: the personality of this scientist; the bewildering location; and the discovery that all animals—and all plants—are crucial to the life of our planet. Those elements make up the big picture. The details—the small pictures—are intriguingly breathtaking.

Was it my luck that the first episode I saw was a search for the Malagasy hippopotamus? Known as Malagasy dwarf hippopotamus, the animal lived on the island of Madagascar. Before Forrest ventured into this quest for the animal, there was only a fossil record suggesting that the dwarf hippo existed until some 1,000 years ago.

In the Season 2 of Extinct or Alive, Forrest Galante travels with another scientist, to several forested areas of Madagascar. As they explore the place, they pass by the most unusual landscapes and witness the alarming deforestation of the areas. The aridity of the land gives them hope that where there is water, the hippo must be there. Finding a murky pond, Forrest uses a device in the form of a synthetic hippo head and submerges it in the water. Nothing happens. They go to another spot and feel with their hands a muddy area. There they pull out a non-fossilized skull of the Malagasy dwarf hippo, which turns out to be less than 200 years old. The disclosure does not end there, for the biologists believe the animal may even be living up to this day. And I am hooked on this novel exploit!

The next episode, also from Season 2, takes me to the island of Borneo.

Considered to be the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia, Borneo’s proximity to the Philippines should interest us Filipinos about its wildlife conservation and diversity. Here in this episode, we see the persistence and the courage of Forrest. Whether it is staged for the camera, his logic and systematic inquiry into the wildlife is nothing short of amazing. In Borneo, Forrest is about to embark on a search for the Miller’s grizzled langur. The monkey, which is noted for its white beard and sideburns, is said to have lived in Kalimantan on the Indonesian side of Borneo. Declared extinct for a long time, it was rediscovered in 2011 and was not seen again.

There are findings showing how in 2012, the Miller’s grizzled langur was photographed by other primatologists. Forrest’s version, however, gives us a ringside view of how to track an animal that can be easily dismissed as long vanished. Knowing that the monkey is an arboreal animal, which means it inhabits trees, Forrest harnesses himself up a tall tree and waits for hours to see if that monkey would show himself.

Going to another part of the forest, Forrest and the crew simulate a leafy covering and hide there while the biologist plays the sound or call of the langur, or leaf monkey. This sound gets a response and the whole team goes crazy. Searching for the source of the sound yields no result.

The team goes deeper into the forest. Following a forest guard’s instruction, they try to locate waterfalls flowing into a sepan, a waterhole with minerals. They do not see any grizzled langur but they place at strategic points cameras hoping to capture images of the elusive primate. Those devices would be collected the next day.

Indeed, on the next day, Forrest goes back into the area and collects all the cameras. Short of cinematic, the biologist ensconces himself on a porch with his laptop and what looks like a mug of beer. He starts to view the camera now attached to his computer. And there, drinking from the sepan is what looks like a monkey, his neck graced by white hair. His excitement palpable, Forrest waits for the monkey to turn around. It takes a while for the small monkey to move his head up from the water source. Then as if teasing us, it raises its head, turns toward the camera and all we hear is Forrest shouting at the discovery. The Miller’s grizzled langur is extant, not extinct! The team is ecstatic. We are filled with joy. We are part of this discovery.

There are more “discoveries”, some of them contentious and controversial. At this point though, there is an important lesson we can get from this program. One is that the disappearance or extinction of animals has greatly something to do with their habitat disappearing, or going extinct as well. This documentary is fun but cautionary.

Extinct or Alive is a documentary TV program produced for Animal Planet by Hot Snakes Media of New York City. Credited as directors are Thomas Backer and Patrick DeLuca.

More exciting adventures and inspiring stories on ‘Amazing Earth’; Michael V’s ‘Family History’ on Sunday

DINGDONG DANTES continues to explore unchartered territories and discover fascinating stories told through the work of local heroes in the three-part anniversary special of GMA’s award-winning infotainment program, Amazing Earth. The first airing last June 13, the show—directed by Rico Gutierrez—is seen on Sundays at 7:40 pm.

Since the program’s debut, Dingdong has shown his immeasurable commitment to deliver exciting adventures and stories to viewers every week as he treks dirt roads, wades in rivers, and climbs mountains. Even with the health concerns brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, Dingdong proves to be a faithful eco-warrior through and through.

The award-winning actor-TV host shares that a great deal of destinations await viewers in their three-part anniversary episodes: “Team Amazing Earth has a lot in store for our viewers in celebration of our third anniversary. We know na with the pandemic, hindi lahat ay nakakapasyal to explore the many beautiful sights this planet has to offer. Kaya naman our program is excited to take our viewers to more breathtaking destinations across the country and around the world.”

Dingdong also expresses his take on how their program can be of help in advocating environmental protection: “We feature local heroes para makita natin kung ano ba ‘yung mga puwede nating gawin for our environment and it’s not just limited to tree planting; it could be as simple as educating everyone tungkol sa mga kuwentong bayan na may kinalaman sa kalikasan.”

Now on its new prime-time timeslot, Amazing Earth’s special episodes feature wildlife stories from the BBC nature documentary Seven Worlds, One Planet, presented by renowned narrator David Attenborough and filmed across 7 continents in 41 countries.

Don’t miss out on Dingdong’s exclusive interview with Mayor Vico Sotto in the Pasig Rainforest Park. The millennial mayor talks about the inroads they are making environment-wise in Pasig, spearheaded by their constituents’ floating farm concept.

Meanwhile, revel in the beauty of Bohol and discover the mysterious Tambuko cave and underwater lagoon.

Meanwhile, GMA celebrates Father’s Day with the TV premiere of multiawarded comedian and content creator Michael V’s directorial debut film Family History on GMA Blockbusters, showing right after All-Out Sundays.

Michael V’s labor of love garnered good reviews from viewers when the film played in theaters in 2019. It tells the life of Alex de la Cruz (Michael V), a happily married man who finds himself at a crossroad when a life-changing disease challenges his marriage to his wife May (DawnZulueta).

This family drama also stars Miguel Tanfelix, Bianca Umali, John Estrada, Paolo Contis, Ina Feleo, Kakai Bautista and Nonie Buencamino. Joining them are Nikki Co, Mikoy Morales, Vince Gamad and Jemwell Ventinilla.

Family History is a co-production between Mic Test Entertainment and GMA Pictures. In 2020, it took home the Natatanging Pelikulang Pampamilya special award from the 4th Guild of Educators, Mentors and Students (GEMS) Awards.

DINGDONG DANTES

IF you haven’t met Bianca Gonzalez and get to meet her for the first time, you would think she’s a shy, unassuming timid girl. Well, it’s kind of true as Bianca is indeed quiet—but she’s more of the silent but deadly type. Because when she’s at work and when the lights hit her and the director shouts, “Action!” Bianca is a woman transformed. She shows her gregarious, witty and brilliant side in a charming way that just captivates you.

That is why she’s the perfect partner for MJ Felipe in the very exciting celebrity-centric talk show, titled FYE Channel’s PopCinema, streaming on Kumu. They’re very fun to watch and they have great chemistry, that’s why it’s no wonder the show is now on its third season and has even given a better timeslot which is every Wednesday at 7 pm.

FYE Channel’s PopCinema promises A-list celebrity guests. Last Wednesday, it started with soughtafter Kapamilya actor Joshua Garcia, who shared details of his upcoming TV series Viral, an upcoming Kapamilya show also starring Charlie Dizon, Jake Cuenca and Dimples Romana.

It was also in this season premiere that Bianca and MJ introduced its new regular segment “TBH”, where they will mention a trending topic on which a chosen streamer will share his opinion.

Aside from featuring stars who take on fun games with hosts Bianca and MJ to reveal exciting bits about themselves, FYE Channel’s PopCinema also provides the latest showbiz news and happenings to its livestream viewers.

Meanwhile in other Kumu news, Awra Briguela’s new show Rated Z will take over PopCinema’s original timeslot and will go live Saturdays at 7 pm on the FYE Channel starting June 19.

Catch the new season of FYE Channel’s PopCinema with Bianca and MJ, Wednesdays at 7 pm, on Kumu.

Bianca is in on the streamer

nnn SKY and Swiss game developer N-Dream lets SKY Fiber subscribers nationwide add gaming to their entertainment choices for the family as they are now entitled to six months of free premium subscription to AirConsole Hero.

“SKY has decided to join AirConsole in its mission to bring happiness into every household. SKY being an innovative company in the Philippine market and relentlessly searching ways to improve their offerings in terms of entertainment, it made a lot of sense to us to work together to provide these games to all its subscribers,” Anthony Cliquot, chief operating officer and strategic partnership development of AirConsole said.

The first of its kind in the Philippines, AirConsole will excite casual gamers as it offers multiplayer games and serves as an online crossplatform video game console that transforms mobile phones as gamepads, and computer web browsers, Android TVs, or SKY Evo as the main screen.

AirConsole’s edge over other online multiplayer gaming platforms is that any person aged six to 90 years old can play a game on AirConsole without asking how it works, according to Cliquot.

“Aside from recently upgrading our speeds at affordable prices, we want to continuously level up our subscribers’ digital lifestyle by partnering with AirConsole Hero. In this way, SKY Fiber subscribers can gather their family and friends, choose from over 160 online games, and play at fiber-fast speeds. This will help them in creating stronger bonds at home during the new normal,” said Alan Supnet, SKY head for Consumer Broadband Products.