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By Danny Vibas
CONTRARY to what others may have
long come to believe, megastar Sharon Cuneta has never been the main
money machine of husband Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan’s political
career. “I always offer to help, but he hardly accepts it. He
found a way to finance his senatorial bid in 2001, and this time, as
he seeks reelection as senator, he still tells me that he will find
a way, that he will manage,” Cuneta revealed in a recent campaign
pitch tendered for her husband by film mogul Lily Monteverde at her
Century Imperial Suites.
“I have offered to mortgage our
house in Laguna, so he can have additional funds, but he tells me
that we have no right to endanger our house since it is for the
children. So, he has been making do with whatever funds that come
his way. We’re so glad that Mother Lily has come to our rescue
again,” shared the megastar.
Cuneta recalled that during the
last elections, Monteverde volunteered to help Pangilinan’s
campaign. “Since I have never done any movie for Mother, I can’t
really claim to be close to her. We were really surprised that she
voluntarily offered assistance and she sent word again that she will
help up this time. We promise never to forget the Monteverdes until
Kiko and I are old and gray!” she enthused.
At the press con-like event,
Cuneta proceeded to talk lengthily about her husband—revealing
things about him that might endear him more to the public.
“When I first met him, he only
had one belt. When his dad learned that we have begun to date, Daddy
decided to take him shopping para naman daw hindi siya nakakahiya na
makitang kasama ko. Up to now, in our house in Laguna, 25 percent
lang of our common dressing is Kiko’s. Even when he was already
elected to the Senate, you can still count the number of clothes he
owns.”
“You know how my family came to
trust my husband? He prepared a prenuptial document. And then I
showed it to my father (the late Pasay mayor Pablo Cuneta). My dad
didn’t think it was necessary but when Kiko insisted that he would
feel better if we both sign the document, I eventually obliged.”
“The first time I met his
parents, who already knew that we were sweethearts already, his dad
told me right away, ‘Anak, ’yang si Kiko wala yang kahilig-hilig
sa business. Wala siyang utak sa business at all, kaya kung
magkakatuluyan kayo, anak, ikaw ang magtuturo sa kanya ng tungkol sa
business.’ My husband learned from his father was being an
activist at the age of seven. My husband knows how to take a stand,
will live by it and face the consequences for his actions—but he
doesn’t know how to make money up to now. Of course, he doesn’t
mind that I make more money than he does.”
Sharon confided, though, that she
is not as money machine as people imagine her to be. “I don’t
make as much movies as I used to, so I don’t always have huge
amounts of cash for spending. But I do have some idle properties,
which I acquired before I married him, and I have offered to
mortgage these so we can at least have money for campaign giveaways
when he goes out to his sorties. But, then, he said he doesn’t
want us to mortgage anything just to support his reelection bid.
Again, he assures me he’ll make do with what he has or what he can
raise from legal and moral ways.”
Sharon disclosed that her husband
agreed to do the Lucky Me commercial on condition that all his
talent fee be donated to the Unicef (United Nations International
Children’s Emergency Fund). Our daughter Frankie got paid. “But
all the talent fees of our children go straight to their bank
accounts. We use our combined income to support our children,”
shared the megastar.
Without being asked, she
lambasted Rez Cortez, the pro-FPJ actor who admits to be the culprit
behind the now infamous ASO jingle. She did not mention the
character actor’s name, but she stressed, “You know, some people
can smile at you every time you see them, but they could be the same
people who attack you. As for that person who claims to be a
supporter of FPJ and who is now attacking my uncle Tito Sotto with
that ASO jingle, I hope that if he has nothing good to say about
certain candidates, huwag na lang siyang manira. Better yet, why
doesn’t he just campaign for people he would like to win, rather
than use dirty tactics in maligning other candidates?” She also
added that Senator Joker Arroyo will definitely get her vote.
When asked what she thinks about
her ex-boyfriend Richard Gomez’s senatorial candidacy, she
suddenly turned laconic and blurted out: “I don’t think it is
right for me to answer that question. Whatever I will say will
surely be given a different color, a twisted interpretation, or
taken out of context.” She shared that the first time she met Kiko,
she was out on a date with Gomez.
Meanwhile, Pangilinan is not the
first senatorial aspirant this election season whom Mother Lily has
tendered a press conference for. Some weeks ago, she separately
hosted dinners with the press for Loren Legarda and Chiz Escudero.
Of course, we will never know what Mother Lily gets in return for
her outpour of kindness and generosity for these politicians. She
has been saying that she just really wants to support those whom she
feel deserve it and can do something good for the country.
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