Arnell: I’m not a wife-beater

Curtain-raisers:

• Our condolences to the family and relatives of character actor and director Bomber Moran (Arturo Ocampo in real life) who died last Aug. 14 in Hercules, California. This piece of sad news was relayed to Funfare by reader Evelyn Arriola, Bomber’s niece.

• Watch for the photo-essay book simply called Gary Valenciano which carries Gary V.’s photographs from way back when, many of them rare and unpublished, taken by his own father, Vic Valenciano

• A day after the premiere of her new sitcom on ABS-CBN, Maid in Heaven (Mondays through Fridays, 3:30 p.m.), last Monday, Candy Pangilinan (who plays one of the seven maids) went home to discover her things almost all gone – her microwave oven, blender, chinaware, clothes, bags, checks (Candy has requested the banks to "stop payment") and jewelry. Gone, too, was the maid Candy hired from the agency.

When The STAR broke the story several years ago that Arnell Ignacio, a confessed gay, was marrying his friend Frannie, eyebrows soared and the Big Question reared its ugly head: How long will the marriage last?

Well, it lasted for almost a decade, blessed with a daughter, Sofia. But the irony of it all is that the marriage would hit the rocks only five months after Arnell and Frannie got married. You know, kung kailan nagpakasal saka naman sila nagkahiwalay.

Those of you who are ardent followers of showbiz talk shows should know by now that there wasn’t any third party in the split-up. So was it money (the root of all evil) that did the couple in?

The whole thing started popping up as blind items in the tabloids, insinuating that "a TV host" has a romance with an upcoming singer who’s also gay, thus "the wife decided to break up with (the TV host)."

Unfair, according to Arnell who is hurting like hell, especially after Frannie came out on national television and made all sorts of accusations against Arnell, hinting that Arnell is a "wife-beater."

In a press statement, Arnell said that he’s holding back just yet, not wanting to wash more dirty linen in public.

"I’m not a wife-beater," said Arnell. "Nasampal ko lang siya minsan during a fight but it was an isolated incident. What we argued about was a matter of life and death. Now, she’s making it appear that I’m the worst husband in the world. If I can only tell the whole story..."

He denied having an affair with "the upcoming gay singer" who, Arnell said, is only his friend.

"I’m up to my neck with work ," he added.

In the next breath, Arnell admitted that their life together had been "a mess’ long before they called it quits, due to numerous irreconcilable differences.

"All I wanted was for us to separate peacefully, with no hurting word spoken against each other. What hurts is the way she sounds now, as if wala akong nagawang maganda para sa kanya at para sa mga anak namin. I’ve been nice to her family whom I treated like my own.

"This I can tell the whole world with a straight face: I’ve been a good father to her two children (by a previous relationship). I took care of them since they were toddlers and treated them and love them like my own flesh and blood."

But there’s life after a broken marriage.

"I draw strength from The Bible," said Arnell.

There’s no other way but move on.

"I go on with my life and be the best father there can be to our daughter," said Arnell, his eyes welling with tears.

Only three have remained standing in the hotly-contested Star in a Million the grand finals of which will be held tomorrow on ABS-CBN. It’s the same contest won last year by Erik Santos (with Sheryn Regis as runner-up) who is now a star in his own right.

One of the three finalists is Nyko Maca who is as interesting as her quaint name. Nyko is from Nicole and Maca from Macaca which is a pejorative nickname that literally means "female monkey." Nyko picked it up while studying the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira while in school in Montreal, Canada.

Nyko was born in the Philippines but grew up in Vancouver. She left in 1997 to pursue an IB (International Baccalaureate) degree after graduating with honors from St. Scho (High School). She spent two years at Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific where 200 students from 83 countries lived together in a project built to foster international understanding.

After tucking up a Bilingual Diploma, Nyko took undergraduate studies at the McGill University in Canada, graduating in 2002.

"After school," said Nyko, "it was time for me to pursue my real dream – to be a singer. My father didn’t want me to but then I kept my promise to finish college, so he realized that I was old enough to chart my own life and career."

At 15, Nyko was named Best Actress in Repertory’s presentation of the musical Guys and Dolls during a summer workshop.

Armed with those impressive credentials, Nyko joined the Star in a Million search and at once made her presence felt with a rendition of Alicia Keys’ A Woman’s Worth which she considers her "lucky charm" because people remember her for it.

"How old was I when I realized I could sing?" asked Nyko whose mom, based in Vancouver, played classical piano. "I was 5. I was singing Ama Namin in church."

Her all-time favorite is Summertime which she sang with all her heart and soul during a luncheon meet-the-press at the IO KTV (at the ground floor of the ELJCC Buidling beside ABS-CBN; try that place, you’ll love it).

Nyko will do an Alicia Keys song on Star in a Million tomorow night. Let’s wait and see if her "lucky charm" works.

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