Herbert & Kris: Is it for keeps?

Now it can be told (since Kris has already, so to speak, let the cat out of the bag with her confession on national television that she and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista are dating):

Two weeks before that anti-climactic confession (because the tabs have practically squeezed the matter dry) when we were in Singapore for the Amazing Spider-Man 2 junket and to cover the Lion City’s celebration of Earth Hour (EH), Kris Aquino did admit to Funfare in a free-wheeling chat while we were waiting for the EH event to start that she and Herbert are “a work in progress” — you know, getting to know each other.

People are suspecting that the “work in progress” might be, you know, politically-motivated because Herbert is definitely running in 2016 for his third term (before joining the senatorial race in 2019?) and Kris…for vice president or senator or Tarlac governor in 2016?

“I want to state categorically that I have no political plans whether on the national, regional or local level,” said Kris. But in 2019? She shrugged, “I don’t know!”

With us around the table at the holding room for media were Kris’ pamangkins (children of her sisters Ballsy and Pinky), and sons Joshua and Bimby who has inherited his mom’s gift of gab. For a real score on his mom’s colorfully-checkered love life, I did a casual chat with Bimby who, as I was saying, spilt more beans than his mom perhaps allowed. Snickering at Bimby’s revelations, Kris couldn’t stop Bimby from talking, “Hindi ako ang maysabi niyan, ha, si Bimby!”

So what was Bimby saying? A lot! Stay tuned.

Who is your mom’s boyfriend ba, Bimby?

“Si Mayor Herbert!” (Kris, laughing, playfully butting in, “Diyos ko, mamamatay ako!”)

How do you call him, Tito?

“No, just mayor!”

What does your mom like about Mayor Herbert? (People are asking, “Why Herbert?,” conditioned as they have been to the type of men, tall and athletic, linked to Kris including Phillip Salvador, Joey Marquez and James Yap. Why, is Herbert, uhm, too short and too small for Kris’ criteria?)

“Because he’s a nerd!” (Kris: “Because I’m also a nerd!”)

When did you first meet Mayor Herbert?

“A year ago.” (Kris laughed and Bimby laughed along with her.)

It’s good that you are allowing your mom to have a boyfriend.

“It was my Christmas gift to her last year…a boyfriend.” (Kris confirmed, “Yes, it was his Christmas gift to me.”)

That was in Christmas 2013. What about in Christmas 2014?

“A new boyfriend.” (Kris laughed and laughed, and started to protest, “Bimby...”) “I just want to give you a better life!” (Kris: “No, that’s wrong. I want to be faithful. You told me that last year, right?”) “But if I have girlfriends, I want to make sabay.” (Kris: “It’s okay because you are a boy. You can have 50 girlfriends, I don’t care, but not sabay-sabay.”) “I want to have 80!”

While crossing the bridge from the Marina Bay Sands Complex to the other side for the EH event, Kris’ phone rang and she talked to whoever was calling all the way. Asked who the caller was, Kris whispered while covering the mouthpiece, “It’s the mayor!”

Apparently, the Aquinos led by Pres. Noynoy approved of the “work in progress” as evidenced by a photo of Herbert having dinner with the Aquinos that Kris posted (but hastily deleted) on her Instagram account.

“Herbert is the only one who has asked for (Kuya Noynoy’s) permission to date me,” Kris repeated on TV what she had told Funfare in Singapore. “No other suitor has done that.”

Promising to stop talking about her private life henceforth, Kris added in her public confession, “Herbert and I are partners in either the failure or success of our being together, and we can strengthened what we have by allowing ourselves to have a chance at forever by keeping private and quiet about what is here and now.”

Kris turned 43 last Feb. 14 and Herbert 46 on May 12. If and when their “work in progress” develops (let’s hope and pray it does) into something “forever,” they might have to settle for taking care of “yours” and “mine” but not “ours,” unless Kris can still have another child at her age. She has already two and, according to Funfare sources, Herbert has five — two from a previous relationship, one with a model and two with Tates Gana, his non-showbiz constant companion for 20 years now.

By the way, in the spirit of fair play and in reply to a reader who said that Funfare is “being pro-Kris,” I’m giving a space to the input of somebody close to Tates whom she described as “the girl Mayor Herbert has left behind” and who is known as “the wind beneath Herbert’s wings,” the accepted First Lady of Quezon City. Herbert is an eligible bachelor, not having been married.

Here it is: “No, Tates and Herbert are not living-in but they haven’t really broken up. As QC first lady, Tates knows every nook and cranny of the city; kabisado niya ang mga problema at concerns ng mga constituent. She worked hard to make Herbert achieve his political ambition starting when he first ran for QC vice mayor. Tates and her children Athena, 18, and Harvey (who is in the cast of Goin’ Bulilit), 10, are currently vacationing in Boracay. Like Tates, the children are affected by the whole thing which they learned only from media reports. The children are thinking of going abroad. Tates refuses to make any comment.”

There you are, as fair as fair can be.

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