Between two opposing forces, there are struggles within and without. Friction and harmony interplay, racing up with one another. Eventually, as in contests, there are impending winners and losers as well. Surely, though, there are gray areas in between them.
In the case of the ongoing struggle between Bea Alonzo and Dominic Roque, there is an apparent tug-of-war even if they have professed otherwise.
As lovers before (while this column is being written, they have publicly confirmed the exact state of their affair) and after, they are simply keeping the public guessing or speculating, especially, on the real root cause of their break-up.
Only King of Talk Boy Abunda and vlogger Ogie Diaz who have announced that the couple has called it quits.
As we write, though, Bea and Dominic, have digitally declared their split on their joint statements on social respective Instagrams.
"After much thought, deliberation, and care, we have mutually decided to amicably end our engagement. It was not an easy decision. We wanted to have more time to carefully deliberate and pray about it, but there have been many speculations, questions, and insults..."
Again, personal talking heads on screen (TV, Facebook Live etc.) are more emphatic and generous.
"...Painful yet united decision," the ex-couple would cry out loud.
Meantime, Bea and Dominic's respective camps or self-appointed pseudo-pundits or assigned spin doctors if not rumor-mongers are still the only noisy ones on social media.
Apparently, what broke the camel's back for the couple to immediately come forward was the issue of a prenuptial agreement.
Initially, Alonzo was bashed by netizens ostensibly because of what floated as a prenup purportedly coming from her camp.
Abunda even elucidated on air the circumstances surrounding a pre-nuptial agreement on Bea's part without necessarily stating it's the cause of the separation.
As a social tradition in the legal system, prenup (although has been around for the longest time), but Filipinos, especially the ordinary working lot, the poor, the deprived, the marginalized etc.seem unsympathetic to it if not generally oriented about a prenup contract, its benefits and downsides.
Prenup for them, no matter lawful, appears as an unfair practice especially to the future spouse who signs a prenup prepared and deemed advantageous to the other party but concurred in by the two parties just the same.
In the case of Bea and Dom, being professionals and enlightened, they have their respective lawyers to look into the nitty-gritty of documents if ever there was indeed a prenup.
We feel the tension not exactly from Bea and Dom themselves but from their respective defenders and critics.
The other reason that might hasten to put an end to the talk was the cryptic message allegedly posted by Roque's younger brother describing a person "a wolf in a sheep's clothing" which netizens thought it was alluded to Bea maybe because of the premarital contract was an instrument of distrust or power other another.
This prompted Dom's brother to clarify that the socmed message wasn't about the actress but about his professional work.
Filial values must be preserved
There are other side comments boardering on the scandalous if not ludicrous but unverified accusations that Dom has a gasoline station allegedly given to him by a wealthy gay or he lives in a condo unit owned by a rich politician.
In all these presses (good and bad), it's Dominic who is gaining mileage as they added public consciousness to him in contrast back then when he was just a struggling, unknown actor.
What a way for Christopher de Leon and Hilda Koronel to reunite after all these years.
Christopher and Hilda were a celebrated love team in Philippine cinema. In de Leon's major film debut in "Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang," it was Hilda whom he was paired off. After their maiden project together, the Christopher-Hilda loveteam was sought after from the 1970s to the millennium. At the inaugural of the recently concluded Manila International Film Festival (MIFF), Boyet and Hilda (Susan Reid in real life) met up and how. De Leon was the representative, together with Tirso Cruz III of the film " When I Met You in Tokyo," one of the films entered to the festival alongside with other nine movies (the same entries lined-up for the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) screened in Manila last December 2023 to January 2024.
Koronel, during the 1st MIFF, was bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award. It was a delightful evening for Bo and Susan who haven't seen each other for ages...Another reunion worth witnessing was the recent meeting of world-renowned folk singer Freddie Aguilar and box-office star of the 80s, Vida Verde. The reunion stemmed from Vida requesting us if we could contact Freddie to sign up his posters for her sisters living in Alaska. Through colleague Art Tapalla, Aguilar agreed to see and talk with Verde. For the first time, we learned that Freddie courted the actress when she wasn't in the movies yet. "Pareho kaming Ilocano from Isabela. I am from Tumauini while he is from Santo Tomas," Vida, Catherine Mejia in real life, chuckled. Verde said it was the height of Freddie's popularity when he wooed her. At the time, Vida had another suitor, Loy Mabasa (younger brother of the late Percy Lapid) who she was in love with so Aguilar was jolted. "Kung siya ang sinagot ko, malamang, mag-asawa kami ngayon (If I chose him he could be my husband)," quipped Vida who is scheduled to return to the silver screen soon.