JOEY MARQUEZ was supposed to be just a guest in GMA-7’s new primetime series, “Bolera”, that starts airing this Monday night right after “First Lady”, but his role proved to be very important that they made his character a mainstay.
“I play the man who betrayed Al Tantay, the father of lead actress Kylie Padilla who used to be the top billiards champion and people thought nandaya siya pero ako pala ang may kagagawan,” he says.
“I felt so guilty about it that later on, tinulungan ko si Kylie sa dream niyang maging kampeon sa bilyar gaya ng ama niya.”
At the show’s zoom presscon, Joey reveals that his daughter with Alma Moreno, actress-beauty queen Winwyn Marquez, has been officially engaged to the yet unnamed non-showbiz father of her baby daughter named Luna Teresita.
“Yes, nag-propose na officially yung guy,” he adds. “Nagpaalam sa akin, e.
"But expected ko naman yun kasi childhood sweethearts sila. Barkada yung guy ng brother niyang si Yeoj.
"Dating kaklase niya. Matagal na silang magkakilala, since grade 4. Natigil lang kasi lumaki sila at naging magkaiba ang propesyon, pero nagkita uli at... yun na.”
Joey says he can see that Winwyn is such a good mother who really enjoys taking good care of her child.
“Sabi ko nga sa kanya, bumalik na siya sa pagtatrabaho at iwanan niya yung baby sa akin. Kaso ayaw nga nilang ipahawak sa akin at baka raw itakbo ko. Sabi ko, kapag nakuha ko, hindi ko na sila papasukin dahil akin na yun.”
Did he give any advice to the young couple?
“Ang sabi ko lang sa kanila, hindi madali yung papasukin nilang bagay but ang decision, nasa sa kanilang dalawa.
"I can give advice tungkol sa pagiging ama sa mga anak but when it comes sa pagiging asawa, wala akong moral ascendancy diyan.
"So sabi ko, lahat ng paplanuhin at gagawin nyo, kailangang pag-usapan nyong mabuti. Kailangan, nagkakaisa kayo lagi sa decision.”
He’s happy that GMA got him to work with them again but his dream now is to be able to do a sitcom again with them.
“One of my most memorable sitcoms was with them, ‘Lagot Ka, Isusumbong Kita’. Ang sarap kayang magpatawa ng mga tao. Doon naman talaga ako nagsimula, e. Ang feeling mo, napapabata mo ang viewers.”
GMA’s current sitcoms like “Pepito Manaloto”, “Jose and Maria’s Bonggang Villa” and “Happy Together” are all current top raters so it’s not a remote possibility that Joey will be included in a new sitcom, sooner or later.