Sam Milby stands by his manager in feud with ex-publicist

Sam Milby

Sam Milby said that while Jobert Sucaldito had helped him a lot when he was just starting in the biz, the singer-actor said he’d rather stand by his talent manager Erickson Raymundo, who was like a father to him.

Erickson, who is head of Cornerstone Entertainment Inc., has filed 43 counts of libel against Jobert based on the entertainment columnist’s posts in his social media accounts alleging that Erickson was engaged in questionable deals that robbed other artists of gigs and projects.

“When it comes to the case, I don’t want to meddle because I’m not part of it. Jobert did help me a lot, and I’m thankful for that. But he also has to understand that Erickson is like my dad. Everything started with him,” Milby told reporters during the launch of his latest album, “Sam:12,” produced by Star Records.

Sam added that he and Jobert had yet to talk about the issue. “I heard that Jobert was sulking. But even before the case [was filed], we were OK. I saw him at ABS-CBN and even supported the event he organized with Michael (Pangilinan, the singer), whose career he manages,” he said.

The singer-actor disclosed that the columnist was his publicist when he left “Pinoy Big Brother” in 2005. “He did everything for me for free, and I don’t want to take that away from him,” he said.

Sam will be celebrating his 33rd birthday on May 23. He said he had no plans of hosting a party because his attention was currently focused on promoting his brand-new album, which he coproduced.

The CD features eight all-original tracks and a cover of “Chasing Cars,” which he recorded as the theme song of the movie, “The Mistress.”

“This is my strongest album to date. It features old and new songs, with a lot of upbeat numbers. There are no throwaway tracks,” he pointed out, adding that his favorites were “Who’s that Girl?” “Tunay na Pag-ibig,” “Last Goodbye” and “Balang Araw,” which is a duet with KZ Tandingan.

When asked of his plans to settle down with current girlfriend, TV host and blogger Mari Jasmine, the actor said: “I don’t want to feel pressured to do it just because many of my friends are getting married. I’ll do it when I feel that it’s the right time.”

Sam said what was good about being the man in the relationship was that he didn’t “have to follow any time frame. Of course, I still want to be young enough to play with my future kids and enjoy their youth. My dad had me when he was 49, and he’s turning 83 this year. If the situation [between me and Mari] comes to that point, I’ll let you know. I just don’t like na pinangungunahan ako (being preempted).”

Mari is five years younger than Sam. “If I propose, I’d want it to be more personal and intimate. Mari doesn’t like answering questions about our relationship. The fact that I’m from show biz is a little hard for her. I normally share a lot, but I also want to respect her privacy,” he pointed out.