Martin: I wish Pops the best - FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo

At 30 minutes past 7 yesterday morning, my phone rang. Martin Nievera was on the line, his voice very sad. He was reacting to Funfare’s banner story yesterday about the annulment of his and Pops Fernandez’s marriage (solemnized on June 28, 1986), with the verdict handed down last Wednesday, Oct. 25, by Judge Leticia Morales of the Makati Regional Trial Court more than one year after the petition was filed for Pops by her lawyer, Katrina Legarda (a second cousin of Pops’ late father, Eddie Fernandez).

Martin clarified two things: 1) the title of his and Pops’ post-wedding movie was Always & Forever (very ironic after what happened to their marriage, isn’t it?) and not, as Funfare reported, Now & Forever; and 2) he isn’t living with another woman, that the only mestiza he’s living with is his mother, the Conchita Razon.

Asked how he felt about the annulment verdict, Martin was speechless for several seconds (so unusual for somebody so, yes, talkative, er, articulate). "I don’t know if I should be happy or I should be sad. Honest, I don’t know!"

I wished him "all the best" before he hung up. Two hours later, Martin faxed to me his official statement on the matter. Here it is, verbatim:

Dearest Ricky,

I read your article this morning. I am surprised, but then again, not surprised by the news about the annulment. I knew it was coming. Once again, I was the last to know.

Let’s not forget I didn’t file for the annulment. I am very aware of my faults and mistakes. Though I’m not proud, I have openly shared each one with all of you.

I did all I could do to fix what I have broken but everyone knows I failed.

Let me make it perfectly clear, I have not remarried, have no plans to in the near future, and am not living with anybody, only my mother. If ever I decide to do any of the above, you will be the first to know.

Having said all these, at this crossroad in my life, I will never stop loving and caring for Pops, and most especially my children. They will always be forever in my heart and forever a part of me. I wish Pops well and all that she does. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again... I’m sorry for any pain I may have caused in the past.

I say all these to you for the sake of my children. The less we sensationalize and overprint details of our lives yesterday, today and tomorrow, the less they will hurt.

I hope this is clear to one and all. I did my best but I guess my best wasn’t good enough. Now life has no choice but to go on.

What matters most is that we loved at all.

– Martin Nievera

I told Martin, "Who knows? Years from now, you and Pops might marry each other again. Love is lovelier the second time around; love is more comfortable the second time you fall. Who knows? It happened to Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner, and Eddie Mesa and Rosemarie Gil. So, who knows?"

Said Martin, his voice still sad, "Yeah, who knows?"

(Note: For Pops’ comments on the case, tune in to Today With Kris Aquino on ABS-CBN today, 11 a.m. to 12 noon. No, Martin won’t be on the show.)

You, too, must have received a text message that came on the heels of the pro-Erap rally staged near the Mendiola Bridge last Monday, with Richard Gomez among the celebrities present.

The text message (sender unknown) read: At the Mendiola rally, Richard Gomez led the chanting, "Cardinal Sin walisin! Ipalamon sa pating!" Boycott his shows and all the products he endorses. Gusto pa maging senador. Kapal. Please pass.

Richard was at Mendiola, all right, but he didn’t lead the anti-Sin chant as the newscasts showed. All he said, when interviewed by a reporter was, "Let President Erap finish his term, having been elected by the people; let the court find out if he’s guilty or not."

In times like these, according to Richard, there shouldn’t be any grey area. Everybody, he said, should make a stand. It’s clear where he stands and nobody can fault Richard for it because he’s a presidential appointee as an adviser on sports.

Richard also wanted to make it clear that he isn’t running for any position in next May’s elections – not for Governor of Bulacan nor for Mayor of Mandaluyong nor for Congressman of whatever nor for Mayor of Ormoc (hometown of his wife, Lucy Torres).

"I don’t have any political ambitions," said Richard who called Funfare from Ormoc City where he and Lucy are attending the wedding (tomorrow) of Lucy’s sister Karen. "I just want to do my job well and that’s it."

Oh, yes, Richard will definitely run.

"Oo nga pala," he added, "tatakbo ako – sa ULTRA! It’s a healthy kind of running, di ba?"

Okay, then, anybody who wants to run with Richard, do run.

Meanwhile, people who are insecure with their political plans should rest assured that Richard is not running "somewhere else."