THE ACTOR wants to be reunited with daughter, Cloie.
Actor Gabby Concepcion’s birthday wish when he turned 50 recently was to be reunited someday with Cloie, his daughter with former fashion editor Jenny Sequia.
“I’m just waiting for Cloie to be ready. I respect her decision [to stay away at the moment]. I know we will meet again soon,” Gabby told the Inquirer. The actor has four other daughters—actress KC is his daughter with megastar Sharon Cuneta; Garrie, with businesswoman Grace Ibuna; Samantha and Savannah, with wife Ginbee Gonzales.
Gabby said only Cloie was absent when he celebrated his birthday on Nov. 5. “I wish all my daughters would grow up close to each other, much like the children of Eddie Gutierrez or the Eigenmann siblings [referring to the children of Mark Gil].”
The actor likewise said he was open to doing a film project with all of his daughters’ mothers. “I had an offer to work with Sharon a few years back. I’m just waiting for it to happen. It would be better if I’d get to work with all of them in one project. Life is short. I say we should do it now that there are producers still willing to spend for it.”
As a father, Gabby said he never meddled with his daughters’ love life, especially KC’s. “She would admit she dated a particular guy only after she had broken up with him. Whenever I would ask, she’d always say they were just friends,” Gabby said. “When she was already heartbroken, she would ask me to go to the beach with her. I always agreed—it’s a good opportunity to bond with her.”
Gabby swore he had no knowledge of the news that KC was dating fellow Kapamilya artist Paulo Avelino. “I hardly know Paulo, but I heard he’s a nice guy. He even greeted me on my birthday. He sent the greeting through KC via text message,” he offered. “Unlike Jake (Cuenca) or Gerald (Anderson), Paulo and I don’t have bonding moments just yet.”
The actor added, “It’s all up to KC—it’s her heart that is at stake. She knows I’m just here to back her up. I try to give her pieces of advice, whether directly or indirectly. I tell her, ‘Use not only your heart, but also your mind. Know the person first before getting involved with him.’ Since I don’t always know what she is going through, I just tell her to be careful.”
Gabby is seen on the big screen once again via the Andoy Ranay romantic film “When the Love is Gone.” In this project produced by Viva Films, Gabby gets to lock lips not only with Alice Dixson but also with Cristine Reyes, with whom he has a total of nine love scenes.
“I’ve come to a point in my life when I have nothing more to complain about and everything to be thankful for,” Gabby said. “I feel lucky that despite all the bad things or tragedies that happened to me in the past, I’m still here. There is a reason for everything. I believe that what is meant to happen will eventually happen—one just has to be patient.”
“When the Love is Gone” is based on the Danny Zialcita movie “Nagalit ang Buwan sa Haba ng Gabi.”
It also features Jake Cuenca and Andi Eigenmann, with the special participation of Dina Bonnevie and Anton Revilla.
(mcruz@inquirer.com.ph)