ShareThisBy JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES
After several weeks of speculation, now it can finally be told officially that popular actress KC Conception and actor Piolo Pascual have called it quits.
Yes, their year-long romance is over!
The beautiful actress, television host and singer herself made the confession tearfully in public through the top-rating ABS-CBN program “The Buzz” of Boy Abunda last Sunday, November 27.
Yes, the girl who once said of her beau “‘Kasi, titingnan ka lang niya, ay, wala na, nakalimutan ko na lahat! “ talked about their separation lengthily over television.
For sure, KC admitted that Piolo had loved her, but that after several “tug of war,” it was enough for her.
She said: “Naniniwala naman ako na ‘pag sinasabi ni PJ na minahal niya ako, naniniwala naman ako na meron namang katotohanan ‘yon. Pero masakit man sabihin, hindi ako ‘yung… siguro nag-fail din ako dahil hindi ako ‘yung kailangan niya sa buhay niya. Or hindi ako ‘yung hinahanap niya sa buhay niya. And hindi ko maibigay sa kanya ‘yung kailangan niya.”
Prior to the confession, the two were mum about tthe status of their relationship. Even at the Philippine Advertising Congress in Naga City where they both appeared, they played coy about it and their fans were led to believe that they were still on.
But their breakup became apparent when they avoided each other in a program where they were both guests. This program was the Star Awards for Television.
Earlier, KC flew to Europe in a huff in what she said was a meeting with long-time friends, but ended up as an assessment of her relationship with Piolo.
After Europe, they saw each other again in the United States where they performed before before big groups of Filipino American fans and supporters. Their US performances never gave any trace of the eventual separation.
Even KC’s mother, the megastar Sharon Cuneta, who appeared all the way to be protective of “her baby,”
was drawn into the on-and-off relationship. At one time, she gave a warning indirectly to Piolo that her daughter must not be taken for granted or else…
Now that KC has come out in the open about her split with Piolo, Sharon was less combative, adding that her daughter was strong and would be able to weather the storm.
A friend, actress Gretchen Barretto, also said she believes KC Concepcion can surpass her present problems.
“Kay KC, nakakausap ko siya. Feeling ko kaya niya. Kung ano ang pinagdadaanan niya, I see her strength. Nag-workshop na kami, more or less kilala ko na [siya]. Kaya niya,” Gretchen was quoted as saying by abs-cbnnews.com a few days before the breakup.
Gretchen, who will co-star with KC on ABS-CBN’s upcoming TV series, “Alta,” added: “It’s just part of [her] journey through life,” Gretchen quipped.
But what was the reason or reasons behind the breakup?
“PJ knows exactly why we broke up,” she said. “He knows exactly why.”
She added: “And araw-araw na nakikita ko siya, araw-araw na magkasama kami, parang tug of war talaga. Kasi, ito ‘yung taong minahal ko, o mahal mo, pero sobra akong nasasaktan ngayon. Pero mahal ko siya, pero hindi na talaga puwede. Araw-araw na magkasama kami, iniisip ko, ‘Dito lang tayo sa Amerika nagkaroon ng panahon na tayong dalawa lang, ni hindi natin na-enjoy?’ Dahil hindi na gagana.”
“May mga hinahanap ako na napakabasic lang na hanapin ng isang babae sa isang boyfriend, sa isang lalake. Ayoko nang pumunta na sa details kasi ayaw kong siraan sya,” KC said.
An emotional KC revealed she accepted and did everything to make their relationship work since they officially became a couple last October 2010. She also accepted Piolo’s son Iñigo and tried to understand her then boyfriend’s personality.
“Let’s just say na lahat talaga kaya ko, tinanggap ko ang anak niya. Kahit may mga times na hindi ko siya maintindihan, tinanggap ko kasi sinasabi sa akin ng mga kaibigan namin na personality niya yun,” she stated.
KC admitted she is partly to blame for the failure of their relationship because she gave too much of herself and fought for love.
“Pag may mga bagay na hindi ako sangayon na dapat ginagawa sa isang babae, tinatanggap ko kasi naniniwala ako na isa syang mabait na tao. May mga bagay na hindi ko na kayang tanggapin. Kasalanan ko rin naman sa sarili ko yun kase ginusto ko naman ito,” KC pointed out.
Showbiz authority Mario Bautista devoted his column about KC’s confession to Boy Abunda and hinted that one reason maybe her possible discovery that her erstwhile boyfriend maybe was gay.
The respected columnist wrote that people who tuned in to “The Buzz” for KC Concepcion’s confessions told him that they were disappointed as KC “did not tell outright that Piolo Pascual is gay” and even complained that for a “tell all interview,” KC’s statement on Piolo is “vague, cryptic, malabo.” Some even advised her to seek the advice of Carmina Villaroel about her experience with Rustom Padilla who turned out to be gay.
Mario, however, defended KC, saying “you don’t really expect her to be that blunt.”
“You should just read between the lines,” the columnist added. “Also, we heard she and Boy Abunda were warned not to reveal anything that might destroy Piolo, who, let’s face it, is still one of ABS-CBN’s top properties even if folks say his movies and TV shows no longer hit it big the way the projects of John Lloyd Cruz and Derek Ramsay do.”
KC revealed during the interview that Piolo first tried to woo her when she was only 18 and he courted her for two years, on and off. He returned to her on her birthday in April 2010 and asked for another chance. They officially became on in October 2010.
KC said Piolo was her first showbiz relationship although she had River Maya’s Rico Blanco and director Lino Cayetano, brother of Senators Julia Pilar and Allan Peter Cayetano, before.
Mario Bautista quoted some of KC’s statements in the interview from which one can make his or her own deductions and conclusions.
“It’s my first showbiz relationship, pareho kami ng trabaho. So I think the best thing is that natuto ako na parang naging mas mature talaga sa relationship na ito. First relationship ko rin na seryoso talaga to the point na may mga bagay na hindi naman ako komportable, nagagawa mong tanggapin kasi mahal mo and you choose to accept. Mas naiintindihan ko kung ano ’yung pagmamahal. It sounds corny pero ’yun, mas accepting ako.”
“Marami pong naklaro sa akin, ’yung mga kaya ko at ’di ko kayang gawin bilang babae na minsan… kailangan mo ring intindihin ‘yung sarili mo. Kasi, bigay lang ako nang bigay. Saka iniintindi ko lahat. Parang masyado akong nagbigay ng benefit of the doubt sa lahat. Intindi lang ako nang intindi. Tanggap lang ako nang tanggap. Hindi pala dapat gano’n.”
“May mga hinahanap ako na basic lang na hahanapin ng isang babae sa isang boyfriend, sa isang lalaki. Ayoko na magbigay ng details, kasi ayokong siraan siya. Pero let’s just say na lahat talaga, kaya ko, lahat! Lahat ng kung may anak siya, tinanggap ko ‘yun. Tinanggap ko ‘yung anak niya! Kahit may mga times na hindi ko siya maintindihan, tinanggap ko. Kasi, sinasabi sa akin ng mga kaibigan namin na personality niya ‘yun. Kapag may mga bagay na hindi ako sang-ayon, na ginagawa sa isang babae, tinatanggap ko. Kasi, naniniwala akong mabait siyang tao. May mga bagay na hindi ko na kayang lunukin. Hindi ko na kaya ‘yun tanggapin…Kasalanan ko rin ito sa sarili ko. Kasi siyempre, ginusto ko naman ito, ‘di ba? So, kasalanan ko rin sa sarili ko. Kasi, pinaglaban ko pa, eh. Saka sobra-sobra talaga akong nagtiwala. Sobra.”
“May mga masasayang moments naman, Tito Boy. Hindi kasi ako mahilig magkuwento ng problema namin sa iba hangga’t kaya ko pa and I guess noong time na na-realize ko na talaga na hindi na talaga ito gagana, dalawa o tatlong buwan talaga akong pumapasok sa ‘The Buzz’ every Sunday or sa ‘ASAP Rocks’ na kunwari, okay lang lahat kasi akala ko mawawala lang siya, na akala ko parang hindi naman kailangang malaman ng ibang tao para maayos ’yung problema. But then talagang kapag pumapasok ako ’tapos pagdating ng commercial break, hindi ko na talaga alam kung anong mararamdaman ko dahil sa lahat nang pinagdadaanan namin. Nagkukulong na lang ako sa banyo. Hindi ko na pwedeng gawin ’yun eh, hindi ko na siya kayang gawin mag-isa.”
“Bigla na lang akong maiiyak, kasi hindi pala ako okay. Ewan ko kung bakit, paanong nangyari, ‘yung pain at saka ‘yung sama ng loob naging galit, na talagang nagugulat din ako kasi first time ko na rin na parang napapamura na rin ako. Hindi naman ako ganun, and bigla na lang akong maiiyak kasi hindi pala ako okay. And then siya, natatawa lang siya. Kapag nakikita kong ini-interview siya, idadaan lang niya sa joke. Feeling ko, ‘Bakit ikaw ganyan, ako ganito? Bakit parang hanggang sa huli, mag-isa lang ako rito?’ Anong sasabihin ko sa pamilya ko? Anong sasabihin ko kay Mama na tanong nang tanong kung kami pa ba o hindi na? Kasi, kapag sinabi kong hindi na, magtatanong siya, ‘Bakit?’ Anong isasagot ko sa kanya? Anong isasagot ko sa lola ko (Elaine Cuneta) na mahal na mahal siya? Hindi ko masabi kasi, eh. Hindi ko talaga masabi sa kahit na sinong tao kung anong nangyari. Hindi ko talaga puwedeng sabihin.”
“Nag-sorry naman siya. Binigyan ko siya ng second chance, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh chance. Pagdating ng eighth chance, parang na-realize ko, hindi lahat ng problema, nadadaan sa kilig. Hindi lahat ng problema, nadadaan sa tawa. Hindi lahat, nadadaan sa kilig. Kasi, ang galing-galing niyang magpakilig! Ang tanga-tanga ko nga, Tito Boy, eh. Dumating lang siya sa point na parang, ‘Sandali lang, parang hindi na natin inaano ‘yung totoong nangyayari. Kasi, titingnan ka lang niya, ay, wala na, nakalimutan ko na lahat! Lagi na lang gano’n.”
“Naniniwala naman ako na ‘pag sinasabi ni PJ na minahal niya ako, naniniwala naman ako na meron namang katotohanan ‘yon. Pero masakit man sabihin, hindi ako ‘yung… siguro nag-fail din ako dahil hindi ako ‘yung kailangan niya sa buhay niya. Or hindi ako ‘yung hinahanap niya sa buhay niya. And hindi ko maibigay sa kanya ‘yung kailangan niya. Ang hinihingi ko lang sa kanya, PJ, please huwag kang magagalit sa akin dahil nasaktan ako. Huwag kang magagalit sa akin dahil hindi ako perpekto. Huwag kang magagalit sa akin dahil may mga bagay na hindi ko na kayang intindihin at tanggapin. Huwag kang magagalit sa akin kung kailangan ko munang maramdaman ito lahat. Kung kailangan ko munang mag-respond at mag-react kung paano normal na mag-react ang isang babae sa sitwasyon ko, please.”
What’s the lesson she learned from the relationship?
“Magtira ka para sa sarili mo. At ang tiwalang ibibigay mo sa taong mamahalin mo, dapat alagaan ng taong mahal mo.”
She wouldn’t want to give any message to Piolo.
But what’s her wish now? “Sana makahanap na ako ng true love.”
Is she angry?
“Ngayon ko po narealize na, opo,” KC replied.
She also related how surprised she was upon seeing herself go through so much pain and hatred to the point that she would just suddenly cry. And while she was having a hard time in their relationship, KC revealed that she couldn’t understand how Piolo can just talk lightly about their relationship during interviews.
“Nagugulat din ako kasi first time ko rin na parang napapamura na rin ako. Hindi naman ako ganoon, and bigla na lang akong maiiyak kasi hindi pala ako okay. And then siya [Piolo], natatawa lang siya kapag nakikita kong ini-interview siya. Idadaan lang niya sa joke. Sa tingin ko, ‘Bakit ikaw ganyan, tapos ako ganito?’” KC wondered aloud.
She said that she felt alone in their trying times. Telling her mother Sharon Cuneta and grandmother Elaine Cuneta about the status of their relationship was also a concern.
“Kasi kapag sinabi kong hindi na, magtatanong siya, ‘Bakit?’ Anong isasagot ko sa kanya? Anong isasagot ko sa lola ko na mahal na mahal siya? Hindi ko masabi kasi, e, hindi ko talaga masabi sa kahit na sinong tao kung anong nangyari. Hindi ko talaga puwedeng sabihin,” KC said.
After KC’s confession, Piolo asked for understanding from his fans and the public.
“I don’t think I’ve anything else to say. KC has already said her piece. So, hayaan na lang muna natin doon kasi it’s a very sensitive issue. Hindi naman biro ang pinagdaanan naming dalawa,” Piolo said.
Piolo also asked the public to let him and KC face their problem privately, as it is harder for them if more people get involved.
“Hindi madali yung proseso, hindi rin madali yung maraming nakaabang, maraming naghihintay, nakikiaalam. So sa akin, hayaan na lang muna nila kami, lalo na si Kristina (KC). It’s not easy,” Piolo said.