Ruby Rodriguez bares real reason for leaving 'Eat Bulaga' after 31 years

MANILA, Philippines — Was Ruby Rodriguez fired from “Eat Bulaga”?

The comedian and noontime TV show host broke her silence on the issue in a Viva press conference early this week.

“Matagal na po kasi itong naka-plan na magbrebreak talaga ako,” Ruby began her tell-all in a virtual teleconference with Philstar.com, The STAR and other media outlets.

“As everybody knows, my son, and hindi ko ikinahihiya, I’m very proud of him. My son is a special student and despite of that, meron s’ya na very rare autoimmune disease na hirap ipronounce, it’s called Henoch-Schonlein purpura. Ang tinitira nu’n is the kidneys. It’s very rare. Usually daw, ‘pag umaattack ‘yun, dapat one time lang. Kaya lang ‘yung kanya, chronic kaya rare. Hindi dapat paulit-ulit, (pero) ‘yung sa kanya, dire-diretso kaya na-damage ‘yung kidneys n’ya.”

While some of her son’s medical procedures were done and are possible to be done in Manila, there are medications and other technologies that are only available in the US as of the moment.

“We have to bring him here (US), since he’s a citizen, to get the medical treatment... We’re avoiding that he gets dialysis at a very young age or the worst case scenario is the kidney transplant because he’s too young… Kaya nga, since kailangan n’ya ng medical treatment dito, alangan namang wala ang ina?”

Her son’s condition, she stressed, was the real reason why she decided to supposedly take a leave of absence from “Eat Bulaga.”

“Family first! It’s my son. Bakit ba tayo nagtratrabaho? Para sa mga anak ko. Lalong lalo na sa kanya. Para kay AJ,” she said.

Leave of Absence

It was a well-thought of, not a drastic decision, to leave the show, as she was supposed to leave for US last year and not this year, as what happened.

“I had a meeting with GMA to do ‘Owe My Love.’ That was January (last year). I told them that I’m leaving ng April for the US for my son and then for my work.”

Her US departure was postponed by the pandemic, so she was able to finish shooting the GMA romantic TV series “Owe My Love.”

“When the pandemic started, we (‘Eat Bulaga’ hosts) were all separated already. When we went back on air, we were just on the sides, and when I wasn’t called back, maybe because I already talked to the management that I was supposed to leave, na nanghingi nga ako ng LOA, Leave of Absence,” she disclosed.

“So ‘yung mga tanong ng iba na ‘Tinanggal ka ba?’ o ‘Ikaw ‘yung umalis?.’ Hindi ako umalis kasi nagpaalam ako na magle-leave of absence lang ako. Ang sabi sa’kin ni Mr. Tuviera nu’n eh, ‘You will always have a home here at ‘Eat Bulaga’.’ At s’yempre, inasahan ko ‘yun. So, when they decided to go on air, it’s their decision kung sinong pababalikin nila. So, hindi ko alam. Ang makakasagot lang kung tinanggal ako o hindi ay sila.”

When the program went on air again, she has not filed her leave then, but she always respects the management’s decision.

“With regards to did they take you out or dropped you like a hot potato, maybe it’s them who can answer that.”

No goodbyes

Ruby crushed rumors saying that she left the show because she had a falling out with her co-hosts.

“We’re far apart, I’m not doing the hosting gig there in ‘Eat Bulaga’ but we still talk, ‘yung mga host, I mean, regularly. We still text, we still talk to each other, especially my friend, of course. Pauleen (Luna-Sotto) and I talk to each other all the time.”

She admitted, however, that only Vic Sotto, his wife Pauleen, and their co-hosts Allan K and Luane Dy are the only ones she spilled her plans to.

“With Bossing and Poleng, nu’ng pinaplano ko pa lang ‘to, pati ‘yung pag-aapply ko ng trabaho, alam talaga nila ‘to because they’re my closest friends. They already know. The others did not.”

She regretted not being able to say goodbye not only to her co-hosts but also to their audience.

“So hindi talaga nakapagpaalaman kasi nag-Bubulaga kami nu’ng March nang biglang nagpandemya. So pa’no ka magpapaalam sa kanila? Tapos nu’ng nakausap ko si boss, hindi pa ‘ko nagfa-file ng leave. Verbal pa lang ‘yung agreement namin kasi ifa-file ko ‘yung leave ng March kung aalis na ‘ko. Eh hindi pa naman ako aalis so bakit ako magfa-file? Kasi I was going to file it a month before I leave.”

Ruby confessed that she felt hurt when she was not called back to host again when the show resumed its operations after taking a break on-air due to lockdown restrictions.

“Hindi ko alam kung pain ang word or disappointed kasi s’yempre, I’ve been with you for 31 years, just like that. Walang pagpapahalaga ba? I mean, ‘yun ‘yung naging question ko lang.”
But even if the show called her, she also would leave for her son’s treatment.

“Aalis talaga ako. Kahit na kunwari nu’ng pinabalik kami mag-host, aalis pa rin talaga ako. Talagang naka-plano na talaga ito, pero sana, nakapagpaalam ako ng maganda sa mga Dabarkads, sa mga Dabarkads na nanonood na bigla na lang akong wala na. Hindi ako makapagpaalam na wala na kasi malalagay sa alanganin ako at ang show. People will still think you were kicked out. People will still think na ikaw ‘yung umalis.”

Pauleen was sad when Ruby left, but she always checks on Ruby even if the comedian is now working with the Philippine consulate in Los Angeles, California.

Likewise, Ruby has been receiving messages on when she will be back on the show — and the answer, she said, is with “Eat Bulaga” because she never closed her doors to return. 

“I don’t know, honestly. Malay mo naman, pagbalik ko? ‘Di natin alam.”

Related: With Viva comeback, Ruby Rodriguez hopes to work with ABS-CBN, other networks 

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