Pops to Martin: Be happy! - FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo

"Thank God, it’s over!"

That, according to Pops Fernandez, was her first reaction Wednesday morning (Oct. 25) when the secretary of her lawyer Katrina Legarda informed her that Judge Leticia Morales of the Makati Regional Trial Court had handed down the decision on the annulment case she filed against Martin Nievera in early 1999.

"It’s a relief!"

Unlike Pops, though, Martin learned about the decision (as he said in his letter to Funfare yesterday, "I’m the last to know") from somebody else (yes, from Funfare, actually), when called for his comment Wednesday evening.

"Alangan naman I’d be the one to call and inform him pa, di ba?" said Pops during a brief phone chat with Funfare early last night.

But Martin did send a text message to Pops, saying: Congrats! I guess you’re happy now!

"I really felt bad that, as he said, he’s the last to know," added Pops who, earlier yesterday, broke into tears when she was interviewed by bosom friend Kris Aquino on Today With Kris Aquino. "His lawyer should have informed him."

Like Martin, Pops received the news with mixed feelings.

"Yeah, I wanted it; I felt relieved that it’s finished but I couldn’t help feeling sad."

Reacting to Martin’s public confession (also contained in his letter to Funfare) that he’ll always love her, Pops said, "I guess it’s a different kind of love now," and in the same breath sent a message to Martin: "Be happy!"

Pops and Martin will meet for the first time (after the verdict and since his arrival from several weeks of concert tour in the US) tomorrow on A.S.A.P. Pops will try hard not to cry and, if possible, be casual about the whole thing, promising to greet Martin a sweet "Hi!" as soon as they cross paths. "I don’t want to dwell on the past," said Pops. "We shouldn’t dwell on the past. The best thing to do, once you have let go and come to terms with the situation, is to move on."

She plans to just go on with what she has been doing (since way back when), with her kids, Ram and Robin, as the focal point of her life. As is the set-up since they separated two years ago, Martin can see the kids anytime he wants to. "I’d never say anything bad about him to the kids. I’m not that type. I want him to continue his good relationship with our children."

How do Ram and Robin react to their mom’s decision to be more daring in her recent movies (Linlang and now Gusto Ko Nang Lumigaya where she plays a school guidance counsellor and dabbles in steamy scenes with Albert Martinez, Diether Ocampo and Anton Bernardo)?

"Before I do any project, I consult Ram and Robin. I talk to them, explain everything to them, even the promo/publicity thrust of the movie."

More message to Martin?

"I truly hope and pray that now that it’s finished, we should bury the past. If ever somebody we’d talk about what happened, let’s hope that it would be without pain, without tears; maybe we could even laugh about it. Sana no more hurting, no more blaming nor fault-finding. What happened is the best for everybody concerned. Let it be."

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Dear Kabayan

Funfare got the following letter to Funfare (copies furnished to Mr. Maximo Soliven, STAR publisher, and Isaac Belmonte, STAR editor-in-chief) from Noli de Castro, reacting to a recent item:

Dear Mr. Lo:

I have always regarded you in high esteem for your interesting articles strike me as fair, decent and responsible. So you must understand my frustration and disappointment upon reading your piece which unduly drags my innocent nine-year-old son into a supposed issue, as "a constant source of amazement and wonder among his classmates in Ateneo" for having distributed at one time, "candies and toys in plastic bags printed with these words: From Shamir de Castro." I don’t know where and how you got your "information," but in the interest of fairness and decency, at least for my son, allow me to clarify the following:

1. The particular activity you cited was a mere class assignment given to my son by his class adviser in relation to a class project. My son was just dutifully and innocently fulfilling his ASSIGNED TASK or participation in a group activity as a grade-schooler. It is therefore most unkind to attribute, either directly or indirectly, any malice to such an innocent act.

2. I can never imagine my son, even in the context of, as you say, "boy talk," bragging about his dad’s personality and income. I know my child. Young as he is, I have yet to meet one who is more meek and reserved than him. Besides, the import of such an insinuation is quite unfair, not only for the parents but also to the entire Ateneo. Certainly, the behavior your article sought to picture about my kid is not the kind of upbringing and moral values our child will ever learn from home and school. Modesty aside, he knows the value of penny-pinching as we have always encouraged him, as well as our other children to save and allocate a portion of their allowance to their piggy banks and for the Church.

3. More importantly, I would like to emphasize that not even in my wildest dream would I ever think of exploiting my son, or for that matter, any member of my family, for whatever personal hopes I might have, more so to utilize your dear kid as a "campaigner" in an election. To my mind, only the most desperate and outrageously wicked politicians would resort to this. Besides, I, myself, am not totally sure up to now if I’ll run. So how can you be so sure about your conclusion? I am therefore constrained to view the insinuation as a most unfair cut.

Thank you for giving me the chance to set this straight. I shall continue to hold you though in high esteem as your articles interest me no end.

– Noli De Castro

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(Dear Noli: Funfare stands by its story. Rest assured that Funfare didn’t put any malice to your son’s "innocent act" at that little incident in Ateneo where, I repeat, he has been a "constant source of amazement" because of his childlike and, that’s it, innocent ways. I’m glad that your son knows the value of what you call "penny-pinching." But I beg to disagree when you said that "only the most desperate and outrageously wicked politicians would" use their kids as "campaigners." Remember when Kris Aquino, who was then as young as your son, campaigned for her mom, Tita Cory, in the 1987 elections? I don’t think Tita Cory was "desperate" and "outrageously wicked." But here and now, kabayan, count me among the millions who will vote for you if and when you do run for Senator in next May’s elections. We need a "voice" like yours in the Senate. I mean it.)