Heart Evangelista: He likes to talk things to death; Chiz Escudero: You’re a dream

PRENUP Heart Evangelista and Sen. Chiz Escudero pose for a photo in a prenuptial interview with the INQUIRER. The wedding, says the senator, has nothing to do with his ‘‘alleged plan’’ to run for higher office. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

MANILA, Philippines–“To those who are saying that this wedding has some sort of relation to my alleged plan to run for a higher position, I say no.”

Sen. Chiz Escudero made this declaration less than a week before the senator, 44, was to tie the knot with actress Heart Evangelista, 29, at Balesin Island resort in Quezon Sunday.

But in an interview with the Inquirer at his residence in Quezon City on Wednesday, Escudero said: “Noynoy proved that one doesn’t have to get married to run. Some of those who got married (during the campaign period) actually ended up not winning, so it really doesn’t follow.”

Escudero was referring to his best man, President Aquino, who remains a bachelor at 55. [Escudero earlier told the Inquirer, he asked the President not to go to his wedding so as not to upset his killing schedule.–Ed.]

“[I have] no plans of either stepping up or stepping down. If the opportunity presents itself, and I know that it’s not right now, that’s when I’ll decide,” the senator said.

He insisted that Evangelista would not, in any way, campaign for him if and when he decides to pursue a higher position in government in 2016.

“Heart and I were already together when I ran (for the Senate) again two years ago,” he said. “We will have distinct responsibilities, even when we’re already married. She’d have her own schedule and things to do and I’d get to hear all about them at the end of the day.”

In spite of last-minute preparations for the wedding, Escudero and Evangelista gamely chatted with the Inquirer about their hopes and dreams as a couple. The interview revealed how different their personalities are and how willing they are to adjust to accommodate the other. Here are excerpts from the interview.

Inquirer: Have you written your vows yet? Could you share a few lines?

Heart: Yes, I have, but I don’t want to share yet. I’ll just keep it a secret.

Chiz: Not yet, but then I really don’t write [down] my speeches anyway.

Heart: He is spontaneous, while I hope to memorize it since as an actress I’m used to memorizing lines. I’m imagining that when you’re at your own wedding, it will be totally different.

Inquirer: What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve received about getting married?

Heart: It would be that more than the wedding, you prepare for the life after that, the reality of it all, and certain things like cooking … (Loud laughter from the senator.) You see, he doesn’t trust me. I have to eventually be on top of everything, run the house.

Chiz: I don’t really get advice from anyone.

Heart: It’s because he already knows what he needs to do.

Inquirer: What’s your honeymoon destination? Why there?

Chiz: The closest that we’ll get after the wedding would be a trip to Japan, in time for the cherry blossoms. I have work and she’s supposed to have work, too.

Heart: I’ve always wanted to see the cherry blossoms. We’ll only be away for a few days. As long as we have a couple of days off, just the two of us, then that’s fine.

Inquirer: What is “holiday mode” for you?

Heart: It’s when we don’t work. Chiz and I are different in the sense that he’s never really on holiday, except maybe when we went to Paris.

Chiz: Holiday for me is a trip to Istanbul. She would enjoy shopping in the flea market there.

Inquirer: Will Heart slow down in, or bow out of, show biz? Have you even discussed it?

Heart: We talked about it once. But he’s really not the type of person who tells you what you can and can’t do. I guess the decision has to come from me. I can’t keep coming home at 3 or 4 a.m. because of taping. I should be home a bit earlier than that, so I can be useful in the morning.

Chiz: Oh, yes!

Heart: He gets really sore at me when I wake up at noon. He would always say he had done a lot already. He’s a morning person.

Of course I will have to be more picky with the roles I will choose to play. I’ve never done a bed scene, so I guess that will continue to be my policy. I will study carefully each role that I will accept. It’s not right if I keep kissing random guys when I’m already married.

Inquirer: Is parenthood part of your immediate plans? How many children would you like?

Chiz: Five.

Heart: One or two. We’ll have them after a year.

Chiz: We can have two [sets of] twins.

Heart: No, it’s my body. It has to be on my terms. I’m a feminist.

Chiz: No! No! No!

Heart: Unless, I have one and then I decide to get pregnant again, I want to have twins so that’s three right off.

Chiz: One plus 2 [sets of] twins…

Heart: No more! I will only give birth twice.

Inquirer: Where will you be setting up house?

Heart: I’m having a house built, but we still have to decide what to do.

Chiz: She hasn’t quite decided whether to set me up in a house or not. That’s what I like to say. Binabahay ako ni Heart!

Inquirer: How do you envision your life together? Will you have distinct or shared responsibilities as husband/wife, as father/mother?

Heart: The chunk of it will still be his responsibility.

Chiz: Hey, I’m getting old!

Heart: Also, because I’m younger, so it’s not all at once.

Chiz to Heart: Maybe in three years you’ll take care of everything na.

Heart: No, I’ll go through the stages. Get married, eventually have a baby, taking on the responsibilities gradually.

Chiz: Gradually as in two years or three years? Let’s hope it does not take a decade.

Heart: No!

Chiz: So anywhere between three and 10 years? Our responsibilities will both be distinct and shared. She said that as she grows, they will be shared more.

Inquirer: What are your dreams as a couple?

Chiz to Heart: Our answers to that will probably be different.

Heart: Whenever his schedule permits, we will have our time together, we will travel. That’s always been a dream of mine. Since my mom is strict, I wasn’t really allowed to go away a lot while I was still with my parents. I want to be able to enjoy that with him.

Chiz: My dream is to live a quiet and private life, either traveling or staying here—a life outside show biz and politics and government.

Inquirer: What are her/his quirks, strengths, most endearing qualities?

Chiz: She’s like a sponge. She absorbs everything. You see her face light up whenever she experiences something new.

Heart: He is so simple. I used to be an outsider in the world of politics and I often see politicians who walk around with bodyguards. Chiz is very low-key—I like that in him. I had a crush on him the first time I saw him in his shorts and slippers. His strength? He couldn’t care less what other people say about him. His quirk? He’s a bully, sometimes.

Chiz: You know “bully” is an inaccurate word.

Heart: He likes to badger me about things. Like he knows the situation is really difficult for you, the more he will badger you.

Inquirer: What is the singular most trying obstacle you have had to hurdle?

Chiz: You’re going to have to answer this, Babe.

Heart: It’s really my parents. It wasn’t difficult for me because I was used to how they are, but the situation was new to him. It was made more difficult by the fact that it happened during the elections. I got so stressed by that issue.

Inquirer: Aside from your parents, were there other guests who have sent their regrets?

Chiz: Quite a number. It’s an out-of-town thing and it’s on a Valentine’s Day weekend.

Heart: A lot of singers begged off because they have concerts. It’s fine with us.

Inquirer: How do you resolve differences?

Chiz: By fighting.

Heart: By sleeping. He likes to talk things to death.

Chiz: It’s not badgering. It’s lecturing!

Heart: I don’t like you lecturing me. He goes into these long explanations. OK, I get it already. I don’t like to be pushed. I want him to let me think about an issue first and just discuss it tomorrow. But he needs to have it out today! Even though it’s already one in the morning and we still have work the next day. He would go on and on for so long because he’s such a passionate speaker.

Inquirer: Have you ever had to compromise on anything?

Chiz (looking at Heart): Of course, because I have to give in to her stubbornness (laughs).

Heart: I’m so into shopping. He always tells me to save my money and be practical. Sometimes, I go, “oh, please!”

Inquirer: What’s the sweetest thing he/she has done for you?

Heart: Everything about this wedding is him. He’s super hands-on. He just lets me be beautiful. I never hear anything from him about the wedding.

Chiz: The sweetest thing she did for me? The first time we kissed she made the first move.

Heart: It was because I felt embarrassed for him because he said…

Chiz: It’s true! You were seated in front of me and then you transferred to my side and kissed me.

Heart: I’ve never met anyone who asked, “Can I kiss you?” I thought, I kiss guys for work anyway, so I sat beside him and did it. It was because he was shy.

Chiz: I wasn’t being shy, I was acting dejected and pitiful.

Heart: I felt embarrassed for him.

Chiz: Why are you explaining? That’s my answer!

Heart: Before that he told me…

Chiz: Not fair! I’m the one being asked! You don’t have to explain your side. This happened in Tagaytay.

Heart: There was no event. We just went there for dinner. We weren’t really together yet at the time. He said, “You know you’re a dream. Why do you give me the time of day?”

Chiz: Babe, I never said anything of that kind. That was a different time and place.

Heart: I was surprised because prior to that he wasn’t even sending feelers or anything, and then he tells me, “Can I kiss you?” I was like, “Huh?”

Chiz: Wait! Wait! Wait! The question was what did you do, I was trying to answer it. So you confirmed that you stood up from where you were seated, sat beside me, then kissed me.

Heart: No! I didn’t transfer seats to kiss you…

Chiz: To be kissed?

Heart: No! I only sat beside you because you were professing and I really didn’t know how to react to it because I wasn’t ready.

Chiz: To be kissed nga!

Inquirer: Does he remind you of anyone or anything?

Heart: He’s a combination of a lot of things…

Chiz: Like chopsuey?

Heart: A friend, a lover and somebody who looks after me. If he were a fragrance, he would be musk, very manly. If he’s a book, he would be a very long book. You have to read him again and again in order to understand him. He’s not very expressive. You need to guess what he’s thinking of most of the time. It takes time to really understand him.

Inquirer: What kind of a song is he?

Chiz: To the tune of “Karma Chameleon” or “State of the Nation,” or “Buttercup?”

Heart: He’s a love song that you’d like to listen to while having wine. He would be something with no lyrics, very calming.

Chiz: Instrumental ako?

Inquirer: Senator, what kind of fragrance is Heart?

Chiz: What are the choices?

Heart: Floral, powdery…

Chiz: What is the smell of patis (fish sauce)?

Heart: Fishy? I hate that word, malansa! You know, this is not a good sign! Like we’re in marriage counseling already.

Chiz: She’s floral! She’s colorful and beautiful.

Heart: Just for something to say?

Inquirer: What kind of book is she?

Heart: A short one?

Chiz: She’s like a coffee table book, with lots of interesting pictures. She is good at describing things graphically. She’s animated and she’s picture-perfect.

Inquirer: How does he/she make you laugh? How has he/she made you cry?

Heart: When we went to Paris, my credit card got maxed out soon after we arrived. I wasn’t able to go shopping after that. He was really angry with me. I cried. I was like a child in a candy story, I couldn’t do what I wanted. He makes me laugh every day—he repeats his jokes. He’s cute that way.

Chiz: She makes me laugh because of her clumsiness or her bungling, sometimes. Because it’s so uncharacteristic. I’m not used to seeing that or used to her committing those mistakes.

Inquirer: Has he/she ever made you feel insecure?

Heart: Yes. He is not so expressive but he’s very solicitous. Sometimes, NR (no reaction). I feel that it’s hard to get his full attention. That makes me feel insecure. But when he says, “You look so pretty today!” I feel giddy.

Chiz: Because if I say what she wants, that might just encourage her.

Heart: I don’t think he has been insecure, ever.

Chiz: It’s because she doesn’t give me any reason to feel so. I guess it’s not really because of my character, but because of how she is when she’s with me.

Inquirer: Aside from each other and as a couple, what can you not do without?

Heart: My cell phone. Also traveling, being free, seeing the world.

Chiz: Aside from her and each other? My kids.

Heart: Ay, sorry, the dogs!

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