Tintin: Chiz and I are friends; I'm happy for him!

Quiet for a long time, Tintin ex-Escudero has finally spoken, but only a bit and reluctantly, on her failed seven-year marriage to Sen. Chiz Escudero that has recently been annulled. The un-couple has twins who are in the care of Chiz at the condo unit near the Christ The King Church in Quezon City which he shared with Tintin until two Christmases ago when she packed her things and said goodbye to Chiz — for good.

Like Chiz who has kept mum on what caused their break-up, Tintin didn’t go into details when Funfare had a chat with her during a chance phone call. It was providential, the phone call. During a trip to Singapore over the weekend to interview Hawaii Five-O actor Daniel Dae Kim, I saw a sign that had a “Tintin” on it and I wondered how Chiz’s ex-wife had been doing since news of their domestic meltdown was reported as a “scoop” by this corner two years ago. 

Arriving home Saturday, I casually dialed Tintin’s celfone number and…surprise, surprise!...she answered.

“I’m okay,” she said.

Okay with herself or okay with Chiz?

“Okay with myself and okay with Chiz,” she added. “In fact, Chiz and I are friends.”

The twins, now almost four years old, have to be with their father because, according to Tintin, “Chiz is more financially capable of taking care of them.”

As friends, Tintin admitted that she and Chiz would, so to speak, shoot the breeze when she drops by their old love nest to visit the kids.

“We would talk over a few drinks and listen to music,” she said.

Well, just like old times, except that there’s nothing romantic between them anymore. The soft music is just that, soft music, and it doesn’t rekindle anything.

“We have to be friends for the sake of our children,” Tintin explained. “And what do we talk about when we see each other? About the kids, but never about our personal lives.”

Like many showbiz-watchers, Tintin said that she only hears from the grapevine or reads in the tabs about the women linked to Chiz, among them Heart Evangelista and Kris Aquino who will have Chiz as co-host (for one week) on her ABS-CBN show Kris TV’s first-anniversary specials starting today. Both Heart and Kris have denied the yarn (although Heart has admitted having gone out to dinner with Chiz who confirmed it).

“I never ask him about (the women),” said Tintin. “Wala na ako d’un. It’s his business and I respect him.”

In the same way that Chiz politely refrains from asking Tintin about her private life, not even as much as hinting if the rumor linking Tintin to a handsome dancer is true or not. They respect each other’s space.

Told that Chiz has become showbiz na showbiz (well, election time is just around the corner, you know, and showbiz exposure is a “must” for a candidate!), last night guesting on Ogie Alcasid and Michael V.’s GMA show Pare & Pare, Tintin said she’s happy for him.

Beyond that, Tintin said nothing more. She made it clear that she was talking to me “for old time’s sake” and I had to ask her permission to publish what we talked about which were all, I must make it clear, very positive.

A few minutes after we hung up, Tintin texted me this message:

Hi Ricky! Thank you for calling me earlier on. For someone who had been there when we were starting as a couple, when we got married, when I gave birth to our lovely twins, you have remained fair in judgment despite my sudden silence after the break-up. I guess we are all entitled to that.

And yes, Chiz and I are still friends. We have to be, for the sake of our children. I am and will always be there for my children. Although it may be difficult physically because they are living with their father, I make it a point to spend time with them and make every moment worthwhile for us.

What happened to us is not something that doesn’t happen every day, so we can only make the best of what we have in the present, and work for a better future. I am happy for all the blessings Chiz has because he deserves every single bit of it. He is a great father and I, along with my children, are proud of him!

I texted Tintin back, “Thank you, Tintin, take care!”

But I forgot to add, May you be as happy as Chiz seems to be and as blessed as he is. You deserve as much happiness as he does.

Maroon 5 Big Dome concert almost sold out

The Maroon 5 Live in Manila concert, with The Cab as special guest, is set for Sept. 18 yet at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and Funfare sources reported that tickets (which went on sale barely two weeks ago) are almost sold out. The producers, Midas Promotions in cooperation with Dayly Entertainment, is finalizing an extension. 

“Blame” it on the group’s front man Adam Levine who promises to swing it like “Jagger.”

The band’s first album Songs About Jane brought them commercial success as their singles She Will Be Loved, This Love and Harder to Breathe hit the airwaves and climbed the MRS (Most Requested Songs) chart. They became popular in the Philippines particularly through the song She Will Be Loved.

Their latest phenomenal hit, Moves Like Jagger, went down in history as the most-paid downloaded song, prompting the band to explore the idea of co-writing. The underlying message of their new album title captures the band’s willingness to take a step further in terms of music and take risks.

“I feel like we’ve been standing on the edge of a cliff for a long time,” Levine was quoted as saying. “We’re a band that’s always been close to being full on pop, but that’s rooted in a lot of other things: Rock, soul, funk, the list goes on. Overexposed is the first time we’ve ever completely embraced the idea of making pop music — of making songs for the radio. We just said, ‘Let’s not be afraid to do what we basically are.’”

Levine’s added exposure as a mentor and host for the hit reality TV show The Voice further fueled the band’s status as one of this generation’s music icons. It would be hard to deny that Maroon 5’s worldwide recognition comes not just from their music but also from the palpable charisma that Levine generates. His presence on stage can command thousands of screams louder than a thunder.

(Note: For ticket inquiries, call 911-5555 or go online at www.ticketnet.com.ph.)

First batch of Mutya bets from overseas

Preliminary screenings for this year’s Mutya ng Pilipinas search have just been concluded in Bacolod, Cebu, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Davao. Another screening was held yesterday at the SkyDome of SM North EDSA, with two more set for July 7 and 9, from 1 to 6 p.m.

The coronation night will be on Aug. 12 at the Meralco Theater.

Aspirants must be 18 to 25 years old, at least 5’5” tall and a high school graduate, must possess beauty of face and figure, smart and witty, of Filipino ancestry, and with at least one grandparent in the paternal and maternal line possessing Filipino citizenship. (For inquiries, call the pageant secretariat at 0917-5260777.)

Meanwhile, here’s the first batch of Mutya aspirants from Filipino communities overseas:

= From Norway, Marie Peter, 21, 5’8” tall. She speaks English, German, Norwegian and Tagalog (also fluent in the Aklanon dialect). Currently, she’s the chairman of a youth organization in Norway engaged in community debates, courses and conferences.  

= From Midwest USA, Kylla Gallardo, 21. She was born in Manila but her family migrated to the US. She likes meeting new acquaintances, exploring unfamiliar places, and being a good role model to the youth.

= From the US East Coast, Caitlin Gainey whose mother is a Batangueña and whose father has Irish heritage. She’s taking up International Business at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. She looks up to Audrey Hepburn as a role model.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)