It had been 10 hours since the children of her fiancé Negros Occidental Rep. Jules Ledesma were released by their kidnappers and Assunta was still wearing the denim jeans she had on during her reunion with the children. It was past three in the afternoon and Assunta, who probably just wanted to stay home and catch up with her sleep–nay, her very life–was keeping an appointment.
The current Tanduay Rhum girl, Assunta was scheduled to record a spiel for a radio commercial at Onjing Lacap’s 101-BEAT Studio at the Cypress Garden Building in Legazpi Village, Makati. Though late, she made it to the studio (If I were in her shoes I would have called in sick), two burly bodyguards and two assistants in tow. Once very voluptuous, she was now very slim, a wisp of a girl. "I have not been eating or sleeping these past few days," she explained.
Yes, she’s heard of rumors and text jokes that her family was behind the abduction of Jules’ children to spite her and her fiancé. One joke goes that the ransom money would go to Assunta’s dowry.
"I don’t mind those jokes and rumors. Alam mo naman ang mga tao," she philosophizes. "I love Jules’ children very much," she says. She recalls that after he proposed to her on June 3 this year, Jules called his children and told them, "Sam (Assunta’s nickname) and I are now a couple. Do you want her to be your mommy? And they answered, ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’
"After that," Assunta continues, "we all held hands and prayed as a family."
Prayer is what kept them sane during their excruciating five-day ordeal.
"What makes Jules strong? His faith. Bilib talaga ako sa courage niya. Whenever I ask him what keeps him strong, he tells me, ‘My faith.’ During the recent incident with my future stepchildren, Jules cried but he never wavered.
"Whenever he would feel depressed, I would tell him, ‘Don’t give up. I know God is with your children. And I know their mom in heaven is watching over them’," says Assunta. Cristina and Carlos’ mother Marivic Pek died of cancer two years ago.
"It is good for him that someone is taking care of him," she says. "He really needs someone. Di ba, in the Bible, it is written that it is not good for man to be alone? God said he would make man a suitable helper. Woman is made for man and man is made for woman."
"Do you feel you were made for Jules?" I quickly followed up.
"Yeah!" she answered. "Accepting the marriage proposal of Jules was the easiest decision I ever made."
The romantic that I am, I am leaving it at that. Let the doubting Thomases rest their case elsewhere.
"When Jules talks, I really am amazed. Hindi lang basta-bastang tao itong kaharap ko. He seems to know everything!" she gushes anew.
The 19-year-old sexy star also believes the 42-year-old Jules has given her the backbone she lacked.
"With Jules by my side, I am no longer afraid. I used to have a weak character. I used to let people step on me. I used to give in easily.
Now, I don’t give in easily anymore because I know Jules will be there for me.
"Through thick and thin, he has been lover and my best friend," she adds.
"Tuloy ang kasal," swears Assunta. Her wedding to Jules is scheduled for January 2004.
Jules told Ricky Lo they need a year to prepare for their Church wedding because he wants to give his bride the wedding of her dreams, a la Princess Diana.
He also wants her to fulfill her commitments. One of her commitments is the Tanduay Rhum campaign, which entailed her wearing a skimpy bikini as she frolicked in the swimming pool. Did Jules give his blessings for that?
"I did the commercial because of the prestige attached to Tanduay. Jules does not mind that the commercial is sexy. At his age, he is really very broad-minded; he knows it is just a role. He told me, ‘You’re an actress with sensual roles’."
"I’m not very close to Jules’ mom yet. But Jules told me she really likes me. She knows that I love her son very much. That’s what’s important, isn’t it?" believes Assunta.
When she marries Jules in January 2004, he will still be congressman. She will be a political wife for a few months, if Jules sticks to his plan of not running for another term in the May 2004 polls.
Whatever Jules chooses to do, Assunta says she will support him. She won’t give up acting, but "will work only when I want to, not because I have to."
After the harrowing five-day ordeal–at one point, she was on the phone herself with the kidnappers–Assunta bared her heart. And from where I stood, it looked like it was still beating wildly for Jules.