'I can't hate this person': Dina Bonnevie on forgiving Vic Sotto, Coney Reyes

MANILA, Philippines — Dina Bonnevie shared it was her daughter Danica Sotto who made her realize about reconciliation and letting go of what happened between her, her ex-husband Vic Sotto and Coney Reyes. 

The actress, who is currently seen in the top-rating afternoon drama "Abot Kamay na Pangarap," was the guest on the Friday episode of the popular afternoon talk show "Fast Talk With Boy Abunda." 

Boy and Dina's conversation started about the latter's parenting style, which she revealed that she was the more disciplinarian one than Vic when their children, Danica and Oyo Boy, were growing up. 

It then touched on setting the rules for their children when they were both living between two houses when Dina and Vic separated after six years together. Dina was a young mother at 23 when she and Vic ended their relationship. 

Dina revealed that she and Vic did not have a conversation with their kids about their separation, but the kids were able to figure out their family's situation when they noticed that Vic has not been going home to their house. 

"Well, masakit man isipin at balik-balikan, it was the other way around because the kids started noticing na, [they were asking] 'How come Papa's not coming home?'," Dina recalled. 

Two days became four days of Vic not coming home until the host-actor told his children that they were to spend weekends with him, while their weekdays will be with Dina. 

"It's every mother's wish to have her whole family, not a broken one. So when you remember the pain your children felt when they told you that, you feel so helpless e. You wish you could change things but you can't," Dina recalled the times her children asked about her and Vic's possible reunion. 

Despite their separation, Dina said they never fought in front of their kids. 

“We never fight in front of the kids and I never badmouthed their dad to the children. Never!"

“Never ko siyang siniraan sa mga anak niya and I would always say, ‘You only have one dad... and you have to respect him. Whatever it is," she said. 

Not even a spirited fight

Dina admitted that she and Vic had a conversation about Coney Reyes, who was Vic's co-host in "Eat Bulaga." Vic and Coney are parents to Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto. 

“Yeah, but it wasn’t even a spirited fight or what, quiet lang. Nag-usap kami.

“Parang, 'Bakit?' [Sabi ni Vic,] Because I was inexperienced."

“Tapos sabi ko, ‘What can you do, virgin ako, e? I mean, what, you want me to read all the books? I mean, you wanna play games? Show me how'," she said. 

Dina was 19 when she and Vic got together. She gave birth to Danica when she was 20. 

“I was a kid. I didn’t know much. Parang 'yun ang sinabi niya sa akin na sagot," the actress recalled. 

Dina said that it did take a long time for the reconciliation to happen. It was pointed out to her by her firstborn Danica. 

"It took a lot of time until the point na Danica was telling me, ‘Alam mo, Mommy, you’re so bitter. I wish you’d really let go because you’re so bitter'."

“Parang, every waking moment, if there’s a little opportunity, like when I felt sad, I’m alone and I was having a hard time with the kids, like when we’re transferring house and all these things, I would rant.

“Kasi, 'di ba, parang ang bata-bata ko, I should have a man with me. Parang I’m so pretty and then why? Parang I’m up there. Parang, 'Whaaaat, are you serious?'

“I wasn’t a child anymore, but 23 is young. You don’t understand a lot of things. But I guess through time sinabi ko walang pupuntahan ito, unless I really let go and just accept that it's like this," Dina said. 

She eventually became a Christian and studied many religions. One day, she bumped into Coney. 

“She asked me, 'Do you want to go to our church?' Parang nagulat ako, ‘Go to your church? Talaga lang?'," she recalled. 

Dina was immediately humbled by her daughter who pointed out to her that one goes to church to visit God, not for anyone else. 

She also came to a realization that Coney had changed, and has been actively spreading her faith. 

“Then I realized, nakita ko na... I mean, she [Coney] changed in leaps and bounds. Bringing people to God, bringing people to Jesus, telling the people about the good news of salvation.

“So I asked myself, 'Is this the person I’d like to hate? I can’t hate this person. I can’t!' So I let it go and I gave her a bunch of white roses and then I said, 'I forgive you.'

“Actually, there was one time na she tried to talk to me and ano pa ako noon, kasi it was in public.

"But then, I forgave her, I forgave Vic. I also sent him flowers and I said, ‘I forgive you, but most of all, I forgive me'," Dina said. 

In the show's segment, Dina was asked who she would invite in a dinner for three. 

"Coney, Vic and ako para masara na talaga lahat ng mga loose ends na. Parang it's a finished chapter and we're okay. We're a modern family," she said. — Video from GMA Network YouTube channel

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