HEART Evangelista
Aside from Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has introduced Heart Evangelista to other eligible bachelors.
“She made me go out with Chiz,” Evangelista told the Inquirer during the press launch of the drama series “Luna Blanca: Ikatlong Yugto” on GMA 7.
Evangelista further revealed: “She even has a list of people whom she thinks I should know. She said, ‘Take your time with this one. Tell me what you think (of him). If you don’t like (him), then we’ll try another.’”
She, however, refused to disclose the names of the other people on Santiago’s dating list for her that included other politicians and businessmen.
She disclosed details of how the lady senator arranged her date with Senator Escudero. Santiago considers herself the actress’ “surrogate mom.”
Evangelista recalled: “One time, she even asked me, ‘Heart, do you trust me on this or not?’ This is not because she hopes for Chiz to be my boyfriend.”
Santiago, according to Evangelista, “just wants me to discover what else is out there aside from show business.”
Sen. Miriam Defensor- Santiago
The actress went on: “There was one time she called to say, ‘I’ve spoken to someone. He said he would like to meet you. I told him you’ll see him next week.’”
Evangelista, however, stressed that the date Santiago reportedly arranged between her and President Aquino “was just a joke.”
“Isn’t she funny? She’s so cute,” Evangelista said of Santiago’s efforts to find her a boyfriend.
Evangelista admitted having gone out on dinner dates with Escudero many times.
She added, though, she was still uncertain of what to call their relationship. “We’re just getting to know each other. As to the possibility of us being together, ask me again after six months. I don’t plan things. I just go with the flow.”
During dinners with Escudero, Evangelista said they “talk about anything and everything.”
She added: “We seldom discuss politics, only when I have questions. I don’t talk about my work either. That’s why I think it’s nice to go out with somebody who doesn’t do the same thing you do. You learn so much from him.”
CHIZ Escudero
Evangelista described Escudero as “very down-to-earth. He’s not as serious as he appears to be in public. He’s a good conversationalist. We talk about books we’ve read and places we’ve been to. We get along well. We can go on and on about something and not notice (the time).”
Evangelista, however, insisted that “we are not officially together. This is just a ‘going out’ thing. I’m taking my time.” She claimed she’s “perfectly happy being single.”
“I have time for myself now,” she related. “I’m free to do what I want. If ever I’d get into another relationship, I want it to be more private. I’ve learned my lesson the hard way: Nothing in life is certain—some relationships eventually end. It’s better to just keep quiet because more people get hurt as a result of a very public breakup.”
Evangelista, whose last boyfriend was Brazilian-Japanese fashion model Daniel Matsunaga, said she now prefers a Filipino partner.
“Iba talaga kapag Pinoy (Filipinos are really one of a kind). Don’t get me wrong—Daniel is a nice guy. It’s just that we were brought up very differently,” she said, hinting that she and Matsunaga differed in their views about marriage.
The actress confessed there was a time she got so depressed about her failed relationships that she thought she was “destined to be alone.”
“I even thought I would just adopt a kid,” she said. “Now, I enjoy my alone time. I like eating at a restaurant all by myself while reading a good book. At least now I get to spend time with my friends, like Lovi (Poe) and Alessandra (de Rosi).”
In “Luna Blanca,” Evangelista (as Blanca) will be working closely with Bianca King. The latter will play Evangelista’s twin sister Luna, who was born with a very dark complexion and is believed to be an offspring of an engkanto (forest spirit). The series, directed by Dominic Zapata, airs on weeknights after “24 Oras” on GMA 7.
E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph