Kris, James back to being single

Kris Aquino and James Yap just got “uncoupled.”

Their six-year marriage has been declared null and void by a Makati judge. The reason: “Lack of authority of solemnizing officer. As James’ attorney, Sonya Castillo, explains, “First of all, Kris and James are not members of the Holy Sacrament International Church, and at the time of the supposed marriage, the license, SEC papers of Holy Sacrament, had been revoked.” Apparently, the good lawyer was able to extract an admission from the “solemnizing officer,” whoever he was.

Kris confirmed the annulment with a Tweet: "Yes I'm annulled and can only wish for James and me lasting happiness and genuine friendship for Bimby's sake." 

That means Kris can now drop the Yap from her surname.

Bimby stays with his mom, and James has been granted visitation rights. When Bimby gets old enough, he will be asked to choose with which parent he wants to stay.

No formal announcement has been made about how the exes will divide their conjugal property. Who gets what? That will be interesting, considering that they have no pre-nuptial agreement.

Kris is celebrating her 41st birthday on Valentine’s Day by taking Bimby and Josh to Disneyland in Hong Kong.

So how did James receive the news of the uncoupling? Attorney Castillo quoted the basketball star as saying, “So that means I’m single again?”

Kris meanwhile waxed philosophical about the annulment. “I just want to say that the annulment is not a cause for joy because the truth is it was a marriage that failed, but it’s a cause for optimism,” she told her good friend Boy Abunda.

*   *   *

In a span of few days, Grace Lee has gone from TV host to the girl President Aquino is dating. The comely Korean and PNoy were the big story last week after they appeared for the first time together in public at the anniversary bash of a Manila broadsheet. Earlier, she said the President had introduced her to his sisters Ballsy Aquino-Cruz and Pinky Aquino Abellada. 

That doesn’t mean there’s something serious going on between them. Grace said she and PNoy are still on the getting-to-know-each-other stage. But she admits that “the more I get to know him, the more I'm inspired by his love for his country and just the kind of man he really is and you see it not only through him but in his family as well.” 

Even the Korean media are closely following developments about Grace, who has lived in the Philippines since she was 10. She said she considers herself as a Filipina but takes the words of her mom at heart: “No matter what, you'll always be Korean, no matter how Filipino you've become.”

*   *   *

Cesar Montano is not replacing Ronnie Ricketts as chairman of the Optical Media Board (OMB), as rumors were suggesting. Montano is joining the OMB as a member, according to a Malacañang insider. President Aquino signed Cesar’s appointment papers last year yet but the appointment becomes effective only this month.

Ronnie needs all the help he can get in battling DVD pirates. Illegally copied DVDs are being sold openly in Baclaran and many other places in Metro Manila, despite a series of raids by the OMB. 

*   *   *

Can goose feathers act as an instant waterproof net and stop a person from getting wet in a tank of water? iBILIB host Chris Tiu and his sidekicks Isabel Oli and Moymoy Palaboy find out in the next episode of “iBILIB, The Wonders of Horus” on GMA-7.

The gang of curious myth busters will also play around with an elliptical billiard table and discover why it always guarantees a sure shot.

iBILIB debuted strongly with a solid 28.9 percent household share last Sunday while its competitor in the rival station trailed behind with 23.9 percent.