James on Kris: I still love her!

On The Buzz yesterday where she went back as a “guest,” fresh-from-abroad Kris Aquino repeated what she had told Funfare Update in an exclusive one-on-one last June, a few days after she and husband James Yap broke up, “I have stopped loving him!,” citing the exact date as April 26, 2010, three weeks before Kris’ Kuya Noy won as the 15th President of the Philippines.

I promised Kris not to divulge the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back and thank heavens she didn’t elaborate on what happened between her and James during their heated argument over lunch together that turned out to be their last, and the hurting words that they exchanged in front of their kids Joshua and Baby James. Suffice it to say that “those words” were not just unpalatable but downright unfit for the ears of especially Baby James who, I’m sure, is too young to understand what’s going on between his parents. I hope and pray that Kris, who can get carried away by her emotions sometimes, will keep that “secret” between her and James.

Contacted by Funfare Update for comment, the shy and soft-spoken James simply admitted even in the face of his estranged wife’s public pronouncement that she has lost her love for him, “Yes, I still love Kris!”

So “still in love” is he, in fact, that two days after Kris and the kids left last July 8 for a three-week vacation in the States (highlighted by a Disney Wonder Cruise), James confessed in an exclusive interview with Funfare Update that he was hoping for a “miracle” — you know, that away from the maddening crowd back home, Kris’ mind would “clear up” and find it in her heart to give James still another chance as she had done in the past.

“I’d do everything to get my family back together again,” said James, adding that he and Kris promised Kris’s mom, the late Pres. Cory Aquino, that they would never separate just a few days before she died on Aug. 1 last year.

Told about the “miracle” that James was praying for, Kris said with finality last Thursday barely eight hours after she and company flew back on a PAL flight from L.A., “No, there was no miracle. And please lang, tell him to stop mentioning my mom.”

The sad and painful truth is that as far as Kris is concerned, everything between her and James “is over.” She reiterated the fact that the matter is now in the hands of her lawyers who have started the process of having Kris and James’ July 10, 2005 civil marriage “nullified,” just like what happened to the marriage of Diether Ocampo and Kristine Hermosa (who is reported to be marrying Oyo Sotto in Canada early next year).

Despite ridiculous rumors linking Kris to a few men (Sen. Chiz Escudero, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, Coco Martin and Gerald Anderson) and James to TV host Grace Lee (all those rumors were unfounded and amply denied by the “un-couple”), there’s no clear reason why Kris and James broke up. They both insisted that no third party was involved. They must have simply hit a point of no return. I surmise that Kris must have been fed up with James. To put it bluntly in the vernacular, nagsawa na si Kris kay James.

“In the last three years and a half,” Kris said, “we have been miserable. I’m tired of putting up a front and pretending that all’s well with us.”

Like during the inauguration of P-Noy last June 30 at the Quirino Grandstand, James was not present when the Aquinos (led by P-Noy with sisters Ballsy, Viel, Pinky and Kris) paid their respect at the tombs of Tita Cory and Sen. Ninoy Aquino at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City yesterday, Aug. 1, which was the first anniversary of Tita Cory’s death. What the public didn’t know was that James went there at 2 o’clock also yesterday morning.

Last Friday afternoon, the same day he came back with Mama Kris, Baby James paid Papa James a visit at the Big Dome and watched the games.

The first thing he told Papa James was, “’wawa Papa!” when he saw a cut above Papa James’ eye sustained when he was headbutted by Solomon Mercado (of Rain or Shine) during an earlier game.

“May jetlag pa ‘yung bata,” James told Funfare Update, “kaya natulog siya nang natulog maski noong pumunta sila ng dalawang yaya niya sa dugout.”

Did Kris give him a pasalubong?

“Mayroong pasalubong pero hindi galing kay Kris,” said James. “A pair of shoes, bigay ni Baby James sabi n’ung mga yaya.”

But isn’t Baby James too young to be able to choose the kind of shoes that Papa James preferred? Could it be possible that Kris did the choosing?

“Ewan ko lang,” said James.

 In fairness to Kris, she said that James will continue to raise their kids with her.

“After all, siya pa rin ang Tatay ni Baby James. Dalawa kaming magpapalaki sa anak namin. No problem on that part; nagkakaintindihan na kami.”

Kris also said that there’s no turning back, “I’m moving on.”

Is James going in the same direction?

“I don’t know,” is all that James would say. “Hindi ko talaga alam.”

Briefly noted

• Parish priest Rev. Fr. Clod V. Bagabaldo and the Living Rosary are inviting everyone to attend the novena in honor of St. Philomena from today to Aug. 10, preparatory to her feast day on Aug. 11, at the Santuario de Santa Philomena, Most Holy Redeemer Parish, Del Monte Avenue, Malac St., Masambong, Quezon City. Novena prayers are scheduled at 6 p.m. and mass at 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and at 6 p.m. on Sundays. There will be anointing of the Holy Oil and veneration of the Holy Relic of St. Philomena after each mass. (For more information and further inquiries, text 0918-5470605 or call landline 365-1011.)

• The Dominican Sisters of Regina Rosarii and their Mission Partners have launched the I AM RICH Project for the benefit of the Regina Rosarii Institute for Contemplation in Asia (Regina RICA) in Sitio Aguho, Tanay, Rizal. The project is an appeal to help extend the invitation to be part of Regina RICA by way of Adotping the Trees and leaving a legacy. (For more information and inquiries, call +632-401-2036, +632-985-3878 or +63919-269-4286.)

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