Escudero on Heart: ‘I love her, but…’

Senator Francis Escudero with girlfriend Heart Evangelista in an out-of-town vacation. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines—Beleaguered re-electionist Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero waxes poetic again in his statement to the media regarding the controversy involving his girlfriend, show-biz personality Heart Evangelista and her parents.

“Mahal ko siya pero maliwanag naman na matindi itong pinagdadaanan namin (I love her but it’s clear that what we’re going through is tough),” he said in statement posted on his official Facebook account on Thursday.

This came after Heart’s parents, Baby and Rey Ongpauco, gave an earlier interview to the media, detailing why they didn’t like the 43-year-old senator for their daughter, who just celebrated her 28^th birthday on February 14.

Escudero said Evangelista is the one more affected in the ongoing word war between him and Evangelista’s parents but also pointed out that Evangelista is of the right age to decide what’s best for her.

“Walang pwedeng magdikta, manghimasok sinuman kung ano ang gagawin at hindi niya gagawin at kung amo ang sasabihin at hindi niya sasabihin, may sarili na siyang pag-iisip at kaisipan (No one can dictate, intrude on what she has to do or not to do and what she will say or not say. She has her own mind).”

Escudero made an appeal to the Ongpauco couple and to the public to respect Heart’s decision.

“Sana kung ano man ang pasya niya, galangin nating lahat, pati ako (I hope whatever is her [Heart] decision, let us respect it, including me,” Escudero said.

He also asked his critics not to use the issue as part of their campaign.  He made a request to just focus their “attacks” on him.

“Maski ako na, huwag na lang siya ([Just train your guns] on me, not her [Heart],” he said.

“Dalangin ko sana malagpasan itong pagsubok na aming dinadaanan, ng aming samahan. Siguro panahon na lang ang makakapagsabi (I pray that we overcome this hurdle in our relationship. Only time will tell),” Escudero said.