Korina Breaks Her Silence
People's Journal
January 15, 2005
By: Mario Bautista
It was also last year that she admitted she has a relationship with Sen. Mar Roxas, who everyone says she helped to top the last senatorial election. What does she think are Sen. Roxas' most endearing qualities?
"He's a very simple and upright person, and it's for real. He's not a typical politician who says one thing and does another. He's really squeaky clean as a politician. And he's a good family man. He's very close to his family and friends.
He enjoys being with them. He's not mabarkada and he doesn't even want to go out. Sometimes, in one day, ni hindi kami nag-uusap. He's just reading and I'm attending to the plants in my garden. "
Has she met the senator's son, now 10 years old? "Yes. He's a very nice boy but I don't think I'm allowed to talk about him because Mar wants him to maintain his privacy."
Is she not bothered that her boyfriend has a son by another woman?
"No. I've had a past boyfriend who also has a son, so that's not a problem with me."
How come there are insinuations that his family (he comes from two buena familias, the Roxases of Panay and the Aranetas of Cubao), does not approve of her? "You know, 'yan ang iniisip ng mga social climber who have wrong value systems and whose main preoccupation is wealth. I've met all his family and they are all very nice to me. I get along fine with them and they're very friendly, funny and smart. I don't feel uncomfortable when I'm with them. Just like him, his family is very simple, not the type na makikita mo lagi sa mga sosyalan and on society pages. But the more important thing is Mar and I get along fine. We have the same value systems and priorities. You know, he even prohibited me from giving gifts to anyone in his family kasi hindi siya materyosong tao. He's not even fond of clothes or shoes. His wristwatch is a ten-year old plastic Timex. But he can be galante. Last Christmas, he got me an Armani dress that I myself picked."
And what did she give him in return? "You know, it's so hard to give him a gift kasi nga hindi materyoso. I just gave him P10,000 worth of gift certificates ng Haagen Daaz ice cream because he loves that."
They sound like they're so compatible. "But we do have our differences. He's Roman Catholic, I'm a Christian. He goes to mass every Sunday and he's the type na kahit sa basketball court ang mass, he'd kneel on the cement floor when it's time to kneel. Ako naman, I can adjust. I'm willing to adopt the religion of my boyfriend.
Another difference is he's very organized. Me, I don't make plans. But I listen to him because napakatalino niya, parati siyang tama. I've realized it's time for me to listen and I've learned from that him it's also time for me to make plans."
Is getting married one of their plans?
"No, we've never talked about that. At saka the topic ng kasal, don't expect na sa akin manggagaling 'yan."
*This is an excerpt from Mario Bautista column on People's Journal.
