Last Monday night, Kris finally admitted in her show with Boy Abunda that she and Herbert are officially on. She read what she says is an official statement from her and Herbert:
"I wrote everything down because it’s not just coming from me, it’s coming from both of us, so I hope you don’t mind na babasahin ko. It was seven years ago when James [Yap] and I publicly went through what ultimately led to the end of our marriage. It’s been four years since we separated and two years since we were granted our annulment. We’ve learned that Bimby deserves to have both his mom and dad involved in his life as co-parents. And that takes forgiveness and compromise. It needs acceptance that we’ve all moved forward, that James does have a long-term girlfriend. And it’s much better for all of us to be cordial because he wants what is best for our son.
“We have matured enough to know that though James and I failed at being husband and wife, we do have the rest of Bimby’s life to succeed at being his parents. Wala po akong ipinakilala sa mga anak ko at sa mga kapatid ko for four years because there was nobody I was ready for. And more importantly, there was nobody that they were ready to meet. My siblings impressed upon me that I needed to become whole on my own first so as not to commit another mistake. And thank God, I listened to them.
“It was a journey that oftentimes was lonely and painful, yet one I needed to travel to become the person I am today. And now there is somebody in my life who is special. Weeks before any speculation about us came out, personal po siyang humingi ng permiso sa kuya ko. Maraming iniisip si PNoy kaya ang intindi niya nung time na yun, may gagawin kami ni Mayor na project para sa Quezon City. Until later that same day, nag-text kaming magkapatid, natawa na lang si PNoy na 'permission to date his sister' pala ang hiningi. But that gesture gained the respect of my brother and my sisters because it showed all of them na malinis ang intensiyon para sa bunso nila.
“Yes, my family welcomed him to join us during our get-together because they want to know him better. And they want him to get to know our family. Just like other Filipino families, we are very close and we care very deeply for each other. Sa edad, napagdaanan, at estado naming dalawa, alam namin na seryoso ang pinapasok namin. We both chose public careers that have given us deep fulfillment and we do have exceptional, professional, and personal responsibilities. And part of that is being answerable to all of you. I promised him that our relationship won’t be a distraction in his obligations to the three million residents he took an oath of office to serve. He has given more than 25 years of dedicated public service and my respect for him and his office is such that I don’t want to add stress but hopefully give him inspiration.
“In turn, Herbert has expressed his admiration and respect for the dedication and hard work I have put into my profession. And he values the love you, my audience, and I have shared on a daily basis for almost 20 years. I am 43, and on May 12, he will be 46. I am sure all of you who are watching me right now will agree when I state that staying together, that choosing to love one another requires much day-to-day effort. And if there is something that the past has taught me, it is that I can’t do this on my own. Herbert and I are partners in either the failure or success of our being together. And we can strengthen what we have by allowing ourselves to have a chance at forever by keeping quiet and private about what is here and now. We are a work in progress and it’s a joint project that both of us are happily undertaking with maturity, respect, and commitment.
“Sana nasagot na po lahat. Wala na po akong idadagdag dun, it reflects everything that is in my heart and hopefully also in his heart. Ito po ang una at huling pagkakataon na pag-uusapan ko si Mayor Herbert Bautista sa puntong ito ng buhay namin — whether in my shows, interviews or my personal social media posts.”
We feel so sad for Tates Gana, the mother of Herbert’s two sons who are now both in showbiz, Athena and Harvey. Although Herbert never married her legally, she’s been serving him loyally and faithfully all these years. And although Herbert also has two kids with Eloisa Matias, it's Tates who, for all intents and purposes, acted as the First Lady of Quezon City. Wonder what will happen to her now that Kris has entered the picture.
