James Yap's ma breaks silence, Kris Aquino's sis reacts

CEBU, Philippines - The mother of popular cager James Yap broke her silence regarding the disintegration of her son's five-year marriage with multimedia star and presidential sister Kris Aquino.

In a taped exclusive interview aired in last Sunday's GMA-7 showbiz talk show, "Showbiz Central," Mrs. Annie Yap was interviewed by host Pia Guanio in the family home in Escalante, Negros Occidental regarding the Kris-James romance when it was just starting, then their eventual marriage, then finally, the recent breakup. 

Asked on what she thought when she first learned that her son was dating Aquino, she admitted she was opposed to it: "Ako, magsabi ako ng totoo...Kasi noong unang sinabi niya sa akin, ni James, na sila na raw... Tapos, okay raw ba ako. Sabi ko sa kanya, 'Siyempre, Kris Aquino, 'no, ayoko!' So, 'Bakit Ma?' Wala lang, sabi ko, 'ayoko'."

"Kasi, alam mo naman si Kris, di ba? Iba talaga kami. Mahirap lang kami. Sila, mayaman. Wala naman akong tutol na porke't ganoon siya. Hindi, wala ako niyan. Yung sa ano lang, siyempre, sa buhay namin, angat siya sa amin. Parang ayoko. Parang tutol ako ba... Pero sa huli, gusto ng anak ko, wala kaming magawa."

Asked if she felt if their family's status was belittled during the duration of the marriage, "ang hirap sagutin," was her curt reply.

She insisted, however, that, contrary to reports, her son remained unchanged by fame. "Hindi nagbago ang ugali ni James. Sikat siya, di ba? Yun lang ang sinasabi ko sa anak ko. 'James, iba ka na ngayon, sikat ka. Yun lang ang ano ko sa 'yo, huwag kang magbabago. Huwag lumaki ang ulo.'"

Did James genuinely love Kris? "Siyempre, pinakasalan niya kaya mahal niya si Kris. Hindi naman siguro tayo magpakasal sa taong hindi natin mahal, di ba?" she said.

She also said that they were privy to some of the issues that hounded the couple, including James' alleged womanizing. "Oo, tinanong ko siya. 'O, James, ano naman ang mga balitang ganyan? Totoo ba yun? Huwag kang magsinungaling sa akin.' Sabi niya, 'Mama, huwag kang maniwala, hindi totoo yun.'"

Mrs. Annie Yap, nevertheless, confirmed that James fathered a child with another woman, but that this happened before he met Kris, and that the latter knew about it once they became sweethearts. "Oo, meron siyang nabuntis. Alam ni Kris yun. Pero mas pinili niya si Kris, kasi mahal niya. Pero hindi naman nagkulang si James do'n sa anak niya sa iba. Mahal niya si Kris kaya pinili niya si Kris."

If she only had a say or control of the situation, Mrs. Annie Yap hoped that this would play out in private.

"Kung sa akin lang, kung maghiwalay man sila, dapat mag-usap sila. Ayusin nila. Pag-usapan nila nang mabuti kung maghiwalay sila, huwag na lang ibando sa buong mundo, sa publiko...para wala na lang taong nasasaktan. Siyempre, naapektuhan ang pamilya namin. Kasi, ano kaming pamilya, tahimik kami..."

"Ang payo ko lang sa anak ko, tuparin niya ang obligasyon niya sa kanyang anak. Siyempre, hiwalay na sila [ni Kris], focus siya sa anak niya."

Turning emotional, James' mother also relayed a message to Kris: "Ano lang po, ito lang ang masabi ko sa 'yo, Kris, sana kung maghiwalay man kayo, mag-usap kayo. Ayusin niyo sa mabuting usapan ang paghihiwalay ninyo."

"Kasi nasaktan kami sa dami ng nabalita kaya, yun lang, pag-usapan lang ninyo nang maayos. At James, sa sitwasyon n'yo ngayon, ikaw ang nakakaalam kung paano ninyo [ayusin]...ang problema n'yo. Nandito lang kami, sumusuporta sa 'yo.

Kris, who recently returned to the country after her US vacation with sons Joshua and Baby James, her child with James, is reportedly having her marriage with Yap annulled or declared null and void from the start.

Meanwhile, Kris' sister Viel Aquino-Dee told GMA-7's "24 Oras" yesterday, that they, too, were against the union at first, citing the more than 10-year age difference as well as the quick courtship as reasons. She, nevertheless, said that they understand the sentiments of Yap's mother.