ShareThisYes, Virginia, top actor turned television host Robin Padilla and actress-television host Mariel Rodriguez are not married yet.
After shocking their fans and the showbiz world of their “wedding” in Baguio after a whirlwind courtship, the couple are now saying their tribal wedding in the summer capital was all for a show, for show business.
They admitted that everything they did for a couple of weeks now are “only part of their upcoming project.”
“Ang mga naganap sa lupa ng mga Cariño sa Baguio ay isa lamang sa mga nagaganap na yugto sa aming pag-ibig at sa nalalapit na programa sa ABS-CBN. Walang dapat ipangamba ang mga kapatiran, kababayan at katribo sapagkat ang pagsunod namin ay sa Islam, ang pagpupugay namin ay sa Kristiyanismo, at ang pakikiisa namin ay sa kultura at tradisyong Pilipino,” said the actor.
Robin had said earlier that he and Mariel would star in a new program on ABS-CBN.
“Walang kasal na naganap!” said Robin as he clarified reports about the supposed wedding and reportedly asked for forgiveness for all the confusion that followed.
“Mga artista kami at mayroon kaming show na kung ibibigay namin ang mga detalye ay paano naman ang show naming iyon? Basta sa ngayon, ito na muna ang nagaganap na kabanata sa pag-iibigan namin ni Mariel,” he said.
“Abangan na lamang po natin ang iba pang magaganap, at humihingi kami ng patawad sa mga kalituhan na nangyari,” he added.
The supposed secret wedding was held last September 13 at a compound owned by Padilla’s relatives in Barangay Camp 7 in Baguio.
Three days after the said wedding, Jimmy Ong, the Ibaloi priest—known as a mamburong— who performed the wedding went on cam in an interview on ABS-CBN confirming the ceremony that took place at 3 pm that Monday.
Ong said he initially thought that this was for a shoot, and that he was surprised that both Robin and Mariel were wearing traditional Ibaloi clothes.
The Ibaloi priest added that when he asked Robin if this was a real wedding, the actor responded with, “Oo, kasal talaga!”
Robin Padilla & Mariel Rodriguez
The priest went on to say that the couple drank wine to symbolize their love for each other; and danced the “Tayao,” a native dance, to show that they are officially married.
He added that Robin chose to do this ceremony because his mother, Eva Cariño, is an Igorot.
What’s more, this wasn’t the only wedding that happened on that day. According to various reports from TV news, newspapers and over the Internet, Robin and Mariel also went through a Christian ceremony officiated by a pastor. This was reportedly held at the Cariño house in Baguio City.
“Ang magpapaliwanag po ng lahat ng pangyayaring ito, mula sa India hanggang sa Baguio at meron pa po ulit, ay yung aming programa,” said Robin, once considered as the Bad Boy of Philippine cinema.
The action star added a lot will be happening in the coming days and they will announce everything when the proper time comes.
Robin also commented on news that he offended some Islam believers. “Yung sa usapin ng Baboy, malinaw po na sinabi dito na eating, wala pong sinabi dito na pag ipinahid na ay binastos na ang Islam,” he said in a television interview.
Robin apologized to the grandparents of Mariel who were interviewed about the reported “wedding” in Baguio and India.
Robin stressed that he will one day make good his wedding with Mariel.
“Darating po ang oras na ako ay kakatok sa inyong pintuan para hingin ko ang kamay ni Mariel,” he said, referring to Mariel’s grandparents.
Mariel’s grandfather had been asked by a TV-host about her supposed Ibaloi wedding to Robin in Baguio, to which he answered, “that’s nice… just tell us when the event will be so that we can attend it.”
The grandfather apparently did not know that the wedding had happened in Baguio.
Mariel later cleared up the issue with her grandparents.
Mariel said she will never resign from her noontime show “Pilipinas, Win na Win” but prefers not to discuss it yet.
Despite of their denial of their wedding, the lovey-dovey couple were asked: Will they live happily ever after?
Their fans and the showbiz industry are waiting for what will happen next.
Later, Robin, however, admitted in an interview with Tina Monzon Palma that he really had married Mariel at the Taj Mahal in India a month ago.
He said: “Ako po ay, sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ay magsasalita na sapagkat dumating na po na ang aking mahal na anak na si Ali ay nakaalis na at nakabalik na sa kanyang ina. Ngayon po ay puwede ko nang harapin ang patungkol sa sarili ko at kay Mariel.
“Ang buong katotohanan po, mga mahal kong kababayan, ako po ay maligayang-maligaya na ibabalita sa inyo na isang buwan na po kaming kasal ni Mariel Rodriguez,” he added.
“Ang kasal po na ‘yan ay nangyari sa India, sa Taj Mahal, August 19 po kami kinasal, at ‘yan po ang katotohanan. ‘Yan po ang pawang na katotohanan at pawang katotohanan.”
Padilla said he previously did not want to reveal the real nature of his relationship with his “Pilipinas Win Na Win” co-host since his son, Ali, with his ex-wife, Liezl Sicangco, was still in Manila until Monday.
Ali left for Australia to be with his mother on Monday.
Padilla, a Muslim convert, said they had a Muslim wedding in India. A document affirming the marriage will be forthcoming from an imam or Muslim spiritual leader.
He said he was smitten with Mariel when he co-hosted in May the now defunct noontime show “Wowowee.”
“Wala po akong kaplano-planong umibig noong sumali ako sa Wowowee. Kaya lang ang nangyari, sa isang tingin, nahuli niya ako,” he said.
“Kaya po noong nagkaroon ng napakandang pangyayari sa Wowowee, hindi ko na po pinakawalan na magpakita ng pagmamahal kay Mariel at humantong na po sa puntong sinabi ko sa kanya iyong pangarap ko…na sana makasama kita sa Taj Mahal,” he said.