Ruffa: Love is not the issue

“The issue is not love, it’s self-respect,” this is how Ruffa Gutierrez’s strong reaction to the statement estranged husband Yilmaz Bektas issued the other day about wanting to save their marriage.

Ruffa was a picture of calm and resolve yesterday, when The Buzz co-host Boy Abunda interviewed her towards the end of the show.

“As a woman, I have to keep my dignity. It’s his turn (to win her back) now,” she adds.

The appreciative daughter in Ruffa surfaced when she said Yilmaz should sit down with her parents (Eddie Gutierrez and Annabelle Rama) and apologize to them. This is because they felt upset when they realized Yilmaz really didn’t care of her.

The protective mother in Ruffa didn’t mince words about how she wants her daughters, Lorin and Venice to grow up: “The most important thing now is for them to be  surrounded by love, not violence.”

By now, Ruffa should be in Los Angeles with her daughters to, as she says, clear her mind.  She will be away for two weeks. Yilmaz, she adds, knows exactly where she is.

Ruffa recently returned to Christianity in an emotional dedication ceremony.  The move, some people say, indicates her wish to totally break away from Yilmaz. — Maridol Rañoa-Bismark