KRIS Aquino on Wednesday lashed out at her former partner, actor Phillip Salvador, for taking part in a “hurtful” skit with senatorial candidate Christopher “Bong” Go about their past relationship.
In a Facebook live video that lasted a half hour, Aquino showed clips of the on-stage exchange between Go and Salvador during the former presidential aide’s February 14 campaign sortie in Davao City.
“Naloko mo nga si Kris Aquino,” Go quipped, after Salvador protested an earlier joke that he had fathered four children in Davao.
Salvador responded: “Hindi ko siya niloko kahit kailan. Minahal ko siya. Hindi ko niloko si Kris.”
Aquino, in her live video, then played another clip showing Go’s public apology to her during another campaign sortie, also with Salvador on stage. That apology came after Aquino took to Instagram on Tuesday to say she was “hurt” by the running joke.
“Ma’am Kris Aquino, paumanhin po,” Go said. “Gusto lang po namin kayo pasayahin, kaya may script kami ni Ipe na pinapatawa namin kayo. Ngayon, kung meron po akong medyo nasaktan, paumanhin po, script lang namin ‘to. Pagpapatawa lang. Joke lang namin ‘to ni Ipe.”
“Hindi na namin gagamitin ‘yung joke na ‘yon. Ang importante po, mapatawa namin kayo at mapangiti, kasi puro politika na lang po ang naririnig ninyo,” he added.
According to Aquino, Go also called her on Tuesday night to apologize.
“I admire him because he was man enough to call me. I’m not saying it erases the sin, hindi ko sinasabi na nakakalimutan ko na ‘yung sakit. Ang sinasabi ko, humanga ako dahil nagpakalalaki siya at tumawag siya,” she said.
In contrast, Aquino pointed out, Salvador has not reached out to her nor their son, 23-year-old Joshua.
“It really hurt. The hurt there comes from being made a joke of. And I am not blaming Bong Go. This is on you, Phillip Salvador. Tatay ka ni Josh,” she said.
As recently as Feb. 14, Aquino’s birthday, the actress said she was grateful to Salvador for being respectful of her and her family, and for publicly praising how she has raised their son following their separation.
But on Wednesday, Aquino sang a different tune: “Ang mali ko kasi, I let you off easily. Pinuri pa kita. Ang hindi ko nabanggit sa mga tao, 16 years kang walang inabot kahit piso kay Josh.”
“Sana naisip mo, that line – ‘Naloko mo si Kris Aquino’ — what does that make of your son? Produkto siya ng panloloko?” she added.
Dredging up her past relationship with Salvador, which bloomed on the set of their film “Nandito Ako” in 1994, Aquino alluded to infidelity.
“I was 23 years old when the relationship started. How many times did I hear, ‘Naka isa si Ipe,’ ‘Siya ang naka una kay Kris’? Yes, totoo ‘yon, I was a virgin, and I got pregnant, and I left my family. I chose him.
“I turned a blind eye to the gambling, I turned a blind eye to the nights na hindi ma-explain kung bakit hindi umuuwi, kahit alam ko alam na ang shooting,” she said.
Aquino also mentioned the time when actress Rosanna Roces confirmed having an affair with Salvador when they were still together.
“If I am just part of a skit or part of a joke or part of a way to entertain people, what kind of country is this? Sana naisip lang ninyo na in the midst of your campaign, there is a 23-year-old boy who is special, who is autistic, who watches you – and I’m directing this message to Phillip Salvador,” she said.
Aquino claimed that Salvador last met Joshua in 2012 inside the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City. She recalled that Joshua was warm towards his father then.
“Nanahimik ako for so long, because I thought you were a good man,” she went on, addressing Salvador. “I equated goodness because hindi mo nga kami ginulo. Pero mali, e. Mali na kinalimutan mo si Josh… That’s not a big deal because I’ve done a good job in raising him. Pero mali na ginagawa mong biro ang anak ko.”
“I deserve that. I made the mistake of falling for you. I made the mistake of loving you. You did not love me. Because had you loved me, 20 years after, hindi ako magiging biro sa isang skit sa bawat entabladong inaakyat mo.
“Pero sana man lang, ‘yung bata na minahal ka… Sana man lang siya, naisip mo, dahil kadugo mo siya, e. Who cares about Kris Aquino? You don’t have to care about me, but you should care about Joshua, because that child never hurt you. And to this day, that child says mahal ka niya,” she added.
Aquino, who has repeatedly denied plans of seeking a government post in the future, clarified that her strong statements on Wednesday had nothing to do with politics.
Aquino is one of the children of the late former President Corazon Aquino and slain senator Ninoy Aquino, and a sister to former President Benigno Aquino III.
Go has been the visible right hand man of President Rodrigo Duterte. Aside from Go, the president has formally endorsed the senatorial bid of Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, the daughter of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos under whose martial rule Ninoy Aquino was incarcerated.
“This is not politics,” Kris emphasized. “This was about a child, a special child, a child with autism who did not deserve this.”
Addressing Go, Aquino continued: “I hope that you understand masakit pa rin, dahil ginawa niyong biro ang buhay ko. Ang pinaka masakit, ginawa niyong biro ‘yung buhay ng anak ko.”
“I chose the wrong man to love, and my son is now paying for that,” she said, referring to Salvador. “Life moves forward, and the only thing I can do is try my best to be the best possible mother for this child, because he did not deserve to be made a joke of.” (ABS-CBN News)
