Cesar surprises Angelina with a ‘magical’ party

It was understandable why Sunshine Cruz was not at the surprise party her estranged husband Cesar Montano hosted for their daughter Angelina’s 12th birthday Tuesday night (Sept. 24) at the family-owned Bellissimo restaurant on Scout Rallos, Quezon City, now located at what used to be the ground-floor sala of the Montanos before they moved to their home at the uppity Tiboli Subdivision in the same city.

After all, it was Cesar’s turn to take care of their daughters, also including Samantha (eight years old) and Francheska (turning seven), as the court has decided — you know, three days with Cesar and three days with Sunshine; or four days with Cesar and four days with Sunshine depending on how they divide the week.

Being one of Angelina’s godparents, I was invited to the party only attended by the birthday girl’s cousins (children of Cesar’s brother Rommel and his wife Catherine) and a few classmates. Earlier that day, according to Cesar, Angelina treated most of her classmates in school to snacks.

I arrived at a little past 7 o’clock that drizzly night and left at around 9, eagerly waiting for Sunshine to make a “surprise” appearance. I was disappointed when she didn’t. Oh well, maybe she’d give Angelina her own “surprise” treat when her turn to be with the girls would come. Angelina and her sisters looked comfortable and happy with their dad, hardly showing any signs of the domestic mess they are caught in.

Before I left, I saw how happy Angelina and her sisters were, applauding with girlish glee the magician who was regaling them, wondering how he was able to make a guy appear in one suit and reappear in another in the wink of an eye, among other acts. Then, let Angelina shuffle a deck of cards, choose one (two clovers) while he (the magician wasn’t looking, let Angelina throw the cards into the air and — wonder of wonders! — pick out Angelina’s chosen card from the air with a sword. Perfect!

It was a “magical” night for the girls and how I wished that the magician could cast a spell on Cesar and Sunshine, make them bury the hatchet (not on each other’s backs) but on the ground and be together again as one big happy family with their fast-growing daughters. That wishful thinking would remain just that maybe for a long time — “wishful” — since the couple seemed to have parted for good after 13 years of marriage (oops! unlucky 13?).

Two days earlier, Sunshine was on The Buzz purposely to promote Galema: Anak ni Zuma (with Andi Eigenmann in the title role), her new ABS-CBN teleserye. But you know what happens face-to-face with the host — a star, especially a controversial one, could get carried away and do more than just promoting; she could unwittingly be inclined to talk about personal issues.

Sunshine said on the show that during her 13 years with Cesar, she learned how to be a plain housewife, broke up and made up with Cesar several times due to his “womanizing” (a public knowledge even before they got marriage), and that the marriage felt like a beauty contest in which younger (and prettier?) “competitors” would pop up on the scene. She said that she tried to shrug it off, until she couldn’t take it anymore, so…

Anyway, a clarification: The Cesar “defender” quoted by Funfare in a story last Tuesday said that it was not Sunshine but Angelina (in what was made to appear an “ambush” interview) who disclosed that it was mom Sunshine who was paying for the rent of the apartment they moved into when their parents split up and also their tuition fees.

“But it’s immaterial who said it,” explained the Cesar “defender.” “Who could have fed Angelina that misleading information?” Guess.

During the almost two hours that we were at Bellissimo, I and the staff of Startalk (in a joint coverage with Funfare) managed to pin down a reluctant Cesar to clear that and other issues.

“The truth is I am the one paying for the rent and the children’s tuition fees,” said Cesar in a calm manner. “Historically speaking, I offered her to stay in our house in Tiboli; I built it para sa kanila talaga. I volunteered to be the one to leave.” (Sunshine was quoted in the tabs as saying that she wanted some privacy and didn’t want to stay in the Tiboli house because some of Cesar’s relatives were also staying there.) “It was Shine’s idea to get another house and furnish it. I was against that idea. But I’m the one renting the house, pati na rin tuition fees ng mga bata. Paid in full na ‘yon for the whole year.” (Cesar’s accountant was around to show the receipts and vouchers.)

Cesar recalled that the last time he and Sunshine saw each other was in court when the custody hearing was held.

“I feel for the children,” said Cesar who never fails to bring the kids to church when his turn includes a Sunday. “I know that they are affected. As an actor and a director, I deal with emotions so ramdam na ramdam ko kung ano ang iniisip at napi-feel nila. Alam ko kung ano ang nasa loob nila. I don’t want that to happen, so I try to deal with it properly. It’s not healthy to store up such feelings. We always pray together…always! I think they are getting adjusted to the situation even if they don’t show it.”

When his time is up, Cesar brings the kids to Sunshine’s house but he and Sunshine don’t see each other.

“She doesn’t want to see me in her house or any place near her house,” admitted Cesar, “’yan ang pinag-usapan namin, and I respect that.”

In the next breath, Cesar reiterated that, no, “I am not a perfect husband and not a perfect father, But I know for a fact that we have perfect God,” adding when asked if he thought he and Sunshine would ever get back together again, “and it’s only that Perfect God who makes the decision,” after all, as the marriage vows say, “what God has put together let no man put asunder.”

Asked if he still love(s) Sunshine, Cesar said, “To be honest about it, she’s the mother of our children. I’m not going to say in this interview kung ano ang mali ko o kung ano ang mali niya. Ayoko masira ang tingin ng mga anak ko sa kanya. I’ll never do that. I know my children love her as a mother, their mother at dapat ganoon din ako.”

Since he and Sunshine are not on speaking terms, does Cesar want to relay a message to her through Funfare?

Breaking into a smile, he said, “Stay tuned to GMA, don’t forget to watch my show Akin Pa Rin Ang Bukas. Napaka-gandang soap directed by Laurice Guillen, because I do watch your show on ABS-CBN.”

(Note: For the full interview with Cesar and the exclusive coverage of Angelina’s party, tune in to this afternoon’s edition of Startalk, 2:30 on GMA, after Eat, Bulaga!)

(E-mail reactions at [email protected].)