OF all mass media, FM radio is the least likely to give birth to intriga and hot tsismis. The emphasis on FM is music and brainless banter. But since middle of last year, DJ Mo Twister’s morning show on Magic 89.9, Good Times with Mo, has been registering cataclysmically in the intriga radar.

          Good Times…is a talk show (6-9 am, Mon – Thurs) hosted by Mo, Mojo (gay supermodel daw) and it-girl Andi 9. Callers can ask about anything from love affairs to schoolwork, while the hosts talk at random about behavioral abnormalities, body parts, masticating, etc, etc. And on Wednesdays, the show features a celebrity guest to face the now infamous “Forbidden Questions” segment.

          Aside from the questions, there is also the dare. Sexy actress Katya Santos and Maritoni Fernandez gamely showed their boobs on a dare. Maritoni also French kissed gay sidekick Mojo and a geeky guy in the studio. Listeners of course couldn’t see the wild stunts, but they could hear enough of the uproar of fans inside the booth.

          Then, there was near pandemonium when senior comic Gary Lising nonchanlantly let loose his wanger. Mo warned his co-host, the 20-year-old Andi--a practicing Christian and a student at a Catholic college--to shut her eyes.

          With Goodtimes…FM radio in da Pinas has made a sharp turn toward risqué territory. On a less intense scale than shock jock Howard Stern’s, perhaps, but out there just the same. Surprisingly, listeners are delighted.

          ONE PHILIPPINES turns the table on the man in the middle, DJ Mo–onetime actor, rap artist, unwed dad–with our own Forbidden Questions.

But first, a few stats:
Real name: Mohan Gumatay.
Born: Oct. 19, 1977 in New York City, raised in LA. Came to Pinas when he turned 12.
Parents: Josephine and Epimaco Gumatay, Mo is the middle child, 3 sisters and 1 brother.
Schooling: St. Paul in Bocaue Bulacan, high-school; DLSU in college (Int’l Studies); Aviation Air control Traffic in U.S.
First job to current: DJ at Magic 12 years ago when he was only 17, co-hosted TV show SOP when he was 18 ½, 911 operator in LA, currently hosting gameshow Break the Bank and the talkshow Y Speak (Studio 23), Showbiz Central (GMA 7)
Civil status: single father to US-based seven year old daughter Moira (with former teen star Bunny Paras)

Who are the people you admire in showbiz? Why ?

          Gary V., Billy Joe Crawford, Andi 9. Gary is the example of how a celebrity should act. Though he earned the right to be a snob, he genuinely cares about people. He would stop just to talk to people. I mimic Gary V when I talk to people. Andi 9 Manzano, she’s young and to be able to sit in the show with Mojo and me, talk about edgy subjects is admirable. Andi is not mayabang for someone so beautiful. Another person I admire now is Billy Crawford, nice guy, talented, accomplished and not mayabang. I like celebrities who appreciate the fans and treat them as friends. No airs.

Who are the celebrities you don’t admire? Why?

          (Gossip maven) Cristy Fermin, a person who tells me not to meddle with other people’s lives but she herself is a meddler. A lot of hypocrisy there. Jobert (Sucaldito, another gossip writer and TV host) and Cristy can be counted as one person, they are the same.

Why do celebs answer delicate questions from you?

          I can’t answer that with much confidence. Some celebrities answer, some don’t. But I think celebrities answer more delicate questions on our show than in other shows. It’s a lot of things, I read their body language, their pauses. I try to be intimate with them in our conversations. Also the show is on radio, no
TV cameras. Its easier. And callers urge the celebs to answer. Peer pressure from the listeners. I think celebrities are competing with previous guests who answered tough questions. So if you can exploit that competitiveness that’s good.

Did you make (sexy actress and former Goodtimes co-host) Maui Taylor cry?

          Yeah. We got into a disagreement about her attendance and tardiness. I told her to be more responsible. It was on air, part of the realistic angle of the show. And Maui is one of those people who don’t get reprimanded often. A lot of celebrities get used to the ass kissing in showbiz, Maui fell into that culture. She’s not used to the truth. In the end my point was she had to come to work.

Did you kick Maui out of the show?

          No. She resigned.

How many girls have you slept with? Boys?

          Not many. In real life I’m not like Mojo who would pursue, pursue, pursue. Well, one is the mother of my child. So I would say four. Yeah they are all within a relationship. I’m not lucky enough to have one-night stands. Or good-looking enough to just walk into a club and some girl would “Ooh, I want to sleep with you.” I don’t earn my paycheck with my face. I have to work at it, verbally. Weeks or months. Boys? Oh no. I’m repulsed by seeing boys kiss. If I see two guys hold hands I’m like…(disgusted look) and that’s just holding hands. Of course I don’t speak for all heterosexuals.

You had one-night stand with anyone in showbiz?

          None. As I’ve said I’m not good-looking enough.

If ever sino gusto mo maka one-night-stand?

          Natalie Portman, oh yeah!

Somebody ever called you madaldal?

          Oh for sure. I think if there is a Philippine national team of madaldals, I’ll be on it. But I enjoy talking as much as I enjoy being silent. I travel a lot alone. I don’t have a barkada. Just a few friends like Andi. So I’m madaldal sa job, but privately I look for moments where I can just be with someone and have a slow, monotone, boring kind of talk. There’s a 50% side of me that can be engrossed and sad and boring. Do I listen? Not enough. I’m quick to judge. If a caller tells me “My boyfriend is like…” I tell her to stop kasi I know her story na. I don’t need to hear the whole story. Just the choice of words, I know na. But I can be grossly wrong also. But I can’t help it.

Somebody ever called you pandak?

          Yeah, all the time. You know what I’m not that short, but I carry it like I’m small. A lot of people are short but they carry like they’re taller. Side by side we may have the same height but I look short. Filipinos’ average height is 5’ 5” and I’m that, but I carry it like I’m 5’ 2”. If there are implants for height I’d have it.

When celebrities react to what you say, how do you react?

          I apologize, especially if it hurts. That’s not the intention of the show. This is comedy. If you go to a comedy club people don’t get offended. Am I not a good comedian? I’m trying to make people laugh.

Somebody ever punched you for something you said?

Almost. But I talked my way out of it. First I ask “Did you hear what was said?” because I remember everything I’ve said, even the context of why I said it. ( Maui’s boyfriend barged into the radio station livid and wanted to beat-up Mo after their on-air scolding, but Mo talked him out of it. With the help of course of the security guards.)

What’s the best thing about your job?

          Now people come up to me because of who I am. They really like the radio show. Listeners remember what I said weeks ago. I enjoy it because the people really, really enjoy listening. That’s the best part of the radio show. The compliments will make you overlook the bad sweldo or waking at 4 am to come to work at 6 am. And all this (popularity) started this one year lang. (Mo returned to Manila from LA last year). The TV show is all money. To me TV is a job, and there’s a lot of money there. My motto is “I hate showbiz but I like money.” For Showbiz Central I say two lines and I get paid someone’s salary for a month. It’s actually unfair. But I try to repay that with kindness to anybody who would come to me asking for autograph.

What’s the worst thing about your job?

          Can’t think of anything. But there are no holidays in radio. Holy Week, we come to work. For TV, it’s the waiting for your cue.

Some people say there are too many showbiz talk shows on TV, you agree?

          Agree. Because they are all the same. Why would you watch the same topic, the same sugar-coated answers. Same celebrities answering the same questions. That’s why our radio show is different, kaya people like it.

Is there something you can never have enough of?

This may sound like a showbiz answer, but I really like my life now. I like the timpla of emotions, just right. I like the way my brain works. And the money (laughs).

Is there something you don’t ever want to have?

          Death for myself or to anyone. I’ve never lost someone close. Yeah, I’m afraid of death for my loved ones. As 911 operator for 3 ½ years, I never got affected. And in L.A. people are dying all the time. That job trained me to not get affected. But I don’t know if it were someone close to me who died.

If you are the Philippine president what would be your priorities?

          Oh God, don’t start. I’d tax oil. If the price is now 35 pesos per liter I’ll make it 400. All the tax money we’ll use to build a mass transportation system. Like in Singapore it’s so expensive to have a car. Mass transport system will lessen our dependency on oil. We don’t have to fight all this oil related wars. Oh, oh …I would rename cities, no, remove all the names of the cities, Pasig, Makati, take that out. And replace these names with numbers, based on the livability of your cities. So it changes every year. Like in sports seeding. One city is seeded number 1 or 100. Based on pollution, crime rate, garbage disposal. For example you’re a politician and your running for mayor in Caloocan, and last year its called\ranked 93 now its 76, if you give me another term we’ll be city number 55 next year. May improvement. If your city number is 155 nakakahiya, shit nobody wants to go there. So you work to improve the livability of your city. Not the income but the quality of life. You’d be proud to say “I live in city number 1.”

Who are the best guests you’ve had in the show?

          Lolit Solis was very good, Borgy was very good. They answered all 40 questions and they didn’t care. They were so honest. No diluting of their answers--just raw and honest.

Worst guests?

          Cassandra Ponti (of Pinoy Big Brother). She was so late. Hero Angeles. He was thinking too much. A lot of people talk about showbiz. We don’t have showbiz questions.

Who are the worst actors in Pinas?

          Sandara Park, because of the language barrier. And Troy Montero.

What’s the worst complaint you heard from a girlfriend?

          That I think too much. Here’s my theory, the dumber you are the happier the relationship. You’re obedient eh. The smarter you are, the harder to have a relationship with. Kasi everything is analyzed. When you’re less bright, the less turbulent your relationship.

Best compliment from former girlfriends?

          One of my goals with girlfriends from the past and the future is that when someone asks them what’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for them, they would tell them my story even if we’re not together anymore. That Mo did this sweetest thing for me.

Best and worst traits of Pinoys that you have observed?

          The hospitality is both the worst and the best traits. We let the foreigners abuse us. But we are so giving, people will offer you food even if they struggled for it. Also we take care of our own, we sacrifice our lives to make sure our parents live well in the latter part of their lives. We don’t dump them in hospitals, we take care of them. That’s amazing.