Beaver at Jackie, maayos na ulit ang relasyon pagkatapos ng annulment

Handa na si Beaver Lopez ng Rockwell Land sa kanyang pagpasok sa pulitika bilang second nominee sa Partido ng Bagong Pilipino party-list.

Nakausap namin siya last Thursday – intimate chikahan – at marami siyang anecdote kung paano niya itinatag ang TFC (The Filipino Channel), nagtrabaho sa SkyCable, at Bayantel.

Ibinunyag din niya na magkaibigan na sila at co-parenting sa dating asawang si Jackie Ejercito, anak ni dating Pangulong Joseph Estrada, kung saan meron silang tatlong anak, kasunod ng kanilang annulment.

Sa kasalukuyan ay nag-iikot na siya sa mga probinsya.

Sa mga province na pinupuntahan niya, hindi ba siya tinatanong na kumusta na ang franchise ng ABS-CBN? “Sa probinsya, kapag sinabing ABS some people will. Walang encounter about the franchise. Sa iba, parang nasasayangan lang sila na nawala sa ere.”

Pero tumakbo ba siya para tumulong na magkaroon ulit ng franchise ang Kapamilya Network? “First of all, I’m running on my own so there’s really no family-family. So I’m not running because of the ABS or to push for ABS,” pagdidiin niya.

“Obviously we support it, but I think Joey Salceda and we’re thankful that he brought it up. But, ako naman, I don’t know; I don’t really know yet. I haven’t really spoken to my brother (Mark Lopez) about that. Nothing has been taken up about the franchise. But definitely, you know there’s a lot we can do. We can support; we can have good friends in Congress, but personally, I’d like to support, of course. Once upon a time I was also employed in ABS.”

Sabi pa niya : “I’m running on my own because I want to continue my father’s legacy; there’s no other reason.”

Inamin din niya supportive ang ex-wife niya sa kanyang planong makarating sa Batasan. “Yes, she is. She is supportive. She’s supportive. As a matter of fact, last week she had a medical mission. She went to my filing.”

So okay pala talaga kayo?  “We’re okay. It took a while but okay.

“We’re friends.”

Matagal bago natapos ang kanilang annulment. Tahimik pero nagkaroon noon ng mga kontrobersya sa paghihiwalay nila.

Annulled na sila sa kasalukuyan, both church and state. “My relationship with my ex wife is very good,” dagdag niya. “And what’s most important in all of these is that we’re able to co-parent; that’s the most important. Our eldest is done with college, finished, and magna cum laude with a master’s, and he is working. My second is in sophomore; dean’s lister naman siya. I think co-parenting really worked out for the kids, and that’s the most important thing. We become close friends,” ayon sa anak ni nasirang si Manolo Lopez ng ABS-CBN.

Na-touch ka rin nung sumama siya sa filing? “Sumama siya kasama ‘yung dalawang anak ko. Probably, she wants to campaign. I said, everyone’s invited and welcome to campaign. The more the merrier and as I said, magaling si Jackie sa campaigning ‘no. She knows  since her Dad was... alam-alam niya ‘yan. Tapos sinasabi ko nga kukuha ako kung anong sikreto niya na gagamitin ko sa pagkampanya sa probinsya.”

How many years na kayo na okay o ganito ang relationship? “Maybe, during the pandemic. Kasi nung birthday ng anak ko nung 2018, hindi pa ako pinapansin,” sabay tawa niya.