Who really has the fault? Well, not saying that we are invading the privacy of Kris Aquino and James Yap, this topic has really been the hot seat in the past weeks.

Just imagine you are James Yap and your wife Kris Aquino not only speaks about trouble in your marriage but also announces that it is over on national television. Could you take it?

You may have just fixed your gym bag and prepare for your scheduled PBA game for the day against the Barako Energy Coffee Masters. Then you could have received a text or read a tweet, “Kris says it’s over on ‘The Buzz’.” Then you ponder those nearly five years of marriage, just 13 days short, since that secret wedding on July 10, 2005.

It would seem 500 years.

But of course, you have your faults. Admitting to getting “close” to female fans even though you know very well the history of your marriage, which includes allegations of infidelity, and the nature of your wife who would not take any such report sitting down, this really means you know you had it coming. But do you really abhor expecting that “dreaded” day of June 27 and feel you’ve lost all you’ve got?

Hardly. In fact, you may have jumped the gun a few days earlier with this reported reaction to your wife’s leaving your marital home with her kids in tow: “Whatever her decision is, I’ll accept.”

Before Kris’ big announcement on her final appearance on “The Buzz” on Sunday, June 27, it seemed James himself has also given up. It wouldn’t take a master linguist or a psychiatrist to read between the lines. He knows what the “big misunderstanding” was, why Kris and the kids left, and how seemingly gargantuan the odds were in patching up the differences: leaving it up to Kris? Definitely, a no-brainer.

For me, if indeed the Kris and James marriage is over, it’s tragic yet predictable. With a history of controversy casting dark clouds over the horizon, who would not expect the current circumstances, or the admitted troubles that have taken their toll, would not potentially end their marriage? Anyone watching the Sunday talk shows would know how Kris tried hard to save their marriage, even go through a difficult pregnancy, and endure intrigues of infidelity. But was too much information reported on the media about their relationship overwhelmed the husband? Again, if you were James could you have taken the media blitz after media blitz of the nitty-gritty details of everything that has been going on in your marriage?

If you ask me, I couldn’t have handled it. But, if I were James, I would always know that talk is priceless. What is her Queen of All Media tag for? She should have some skill in at least arriving at a solution to a marital woe—that is, of course, if the other party would communicate or at least be willing to sit down and listen. Maybe that’s the rub: time to communicate. Kris, with her all-out support for brother and president elect Noynoy Aquino that kept her in a rigorous and unforgiving campaign schedule and her usual back-to-back show biz commitments, and James, with his career as one of the top professional basketball players in the country, may not even have the time to decide what’s for breakfast.

But the problem was before them and unfortunately, and tragically, it led to Kris’ intention to call it quits. The question is, if she and James talked and decided to keep any information about their marriage away from the public as much as possible, ask Boy Abunda to mind his own business, and let the healing proceed, would June 27 be yet another slow showbiz news day?

Maybe.

But for James, if knocking down 18 points to lead all scorers for the Derby Ace Llamados in a win that sealed a playoff date with San Miguel Beer in the PBA Fiesta Cup was any indication on the same day Kris says she has given up on their marriage, it shows he may not have cared at all.

Would share the same idea with me?

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Basketball star James Yap has appealed to his fans to pray that he will still be able to reunite with his wife actress-TV host Kris Aquino.

Although Yap refused to talk about their relationship, he admitted that life is not the same without his family. “Miss ko na sila,” he said.

Last week, Aquino left for the United States together with Yap’s son, Baby James, as well as her son with Phillip Salvador, Joshua, after confirming that she had already given up on her marriage.

Yap stayed behind in the Philippines as he and his Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) team, B-Meg Derby Ace, fight for a Final 4 seat in the league’s Fiesta Conference.

“Pagdating sa personal kong buhay, no comment muna ako. Nandito ako ngayon para focus muna sa game,” said the PBA star.

‚ÄúI-pag-pray n’yo na lang kami na sana magkaayos pa [ang relasyon namin],‚Äù he added.

Yap earlier said he would fight to keep his family intact despite Kris’ categorical statement that their marriage was over.

“Nangako ako kay Mom Cory (the late former president Corazon Aquino) na hindi ko pababayaan ang pamilya namin. Na aalagaan ko si Kris, si Josh at si Baby James. Nangako rin kami ni Kris sa harap ni Mom Cory na hindi kami maghihiwalay,‚Äù he said.

He also pointed out that he and his wife have been through a lot, “and I don’t think this is the time for us to give up.”

Aquino said she finally decided to break her relationship with Yap after he allegedly said some harsh words against her in front of their son, Baby James.

Aquino’s lawyers, however, said she will be seeking an annulment of her marriage to Yap.

In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN’s Marie Lozano, lawyer Anna Liza Logan said the TV host is not seeking legal separation.

Logan is a partner of the Marcos Ochoa Serapio and Tan, the law firm retained by Aquino.

“We will have the court decide na yung marriage was void from the beginning,” she said.

Logan said they are now preparing the petition for the declaration of nullity of marriage.

Once the decision becomes final, the parties are free to enter into separate partnerships once again.

This is different from a mere legal separation, where the bond is only dissolved “in fact.”

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With James Yap’s intention to reconcile with wife Kris Aquino, there is talk that the Aquino siblings have been trying to persuade their youngest to at least sit down and talk with James about the troubles that have been plaguing their marriage.


These “troubles” have led to Kris’ decision to call it quits, saying that at least, for her part, their marriage is over. Speculations have arose on the cause of the latest and most serious rift between the two—from a petty argument gone monstrous about all of their respective transgressions to yet another charge of infidelity against James during the campaign sorties of now President Noynoy Aquino.


But, for James, no issue between them would be so unacceptable or horrific to save their marriage and move on. “Kris and I have been through so much and I don’t think we should give up now,” he said in his statement to media a few days after Kris’ interview on “The Buzz.”


The question is—will Kris make a turnaround and, for the sake of son Baby James, her late mom Cory and her brother President Noynoy, give in? That may not be farfetched. But this boils down to how she still views her marriage to James. In her past relationships, when Kris says it’s over, she really stands by her decision no matter what.


While we tried incessantly but failed to seek Kris’ response to James’ statement, a source close to Kris informed us that the TV host actress would not comment further and that she has started a new life of “utter silence” on issues concerning her family out of respect for PNoy.


But our source tells us this doesn’t mean she has really closed the doors on reconciliation. It would really depend on how James handles the situation further, which should be more concrete than just making media statements coursed through his management team. James should now prove that he really meant what he said and now act on saving their marriage, our source says.


How will he do it? That’s for him to know. But it boils down to truthfulness in heart and firmness in resolve to fix their marriage, not just an image-saving press release. If I were him, I would have braved the frenzy just to make it to his brother-in-law’s inauguration as President of the Philippines out of love for the family, his wife, and, yes, his intention “no matter what” to save their marriage. If I were asked what made me come to the inauguration, I would have said the same thing on his press release. Unless of course, well….you get the point.

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