MANILA, Philippines — Businessman Atong Ang has clarified his viral photos with Gretchen Barretto.
The photos show him holding hands with the actress in the airport and in the airplane while they are presumably en route to San Francisco after they left Manila following the Barretto family patriarch's funeral.
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In an interview with Noli de Castro on “TV Patrol” on Thursday, Atong said Gretchen and him are just friends and he treated the actress like a sister.
"Kasi si Gretchen parang kapatid ko 'yan," Ang stressed.
"Sabi ko inaantok na ako. Kasi ang daming sinasabi, kasi makuwento iyan eh. 'Yan 'yung sabi ko, G, tapos (ibinaba) ko nga 'yung kamay niya. Sabi ko, 'Tama na, tulog muna ako'."
He thinks a flight attendant took the photos while he and Gretchen were sleeping inside the plane.
"Siguro stewardess 'yung kumuha ng picture, hindi ko itinatanggi iyan," Ang told De Castro.
Gretchen Barretto on her Instagram story Thursday posted her reaction to her viral photos with Ang.
The photos supposedly depicted her and Ang sleeping together, first inside an airplane and later in an airport facility. In one of the intimate pictures, Gretchen is seen leaning into Atong's lap.
Atong denied these claims in a statement released on October 20.
In another Instagram post, Gretchen said of her photos with Ang, "Unaware. Good morning, San Francisco. I crossed [a] bit over a bit much. This photo was sent through direct message. I'm being asked to react. It is clear I was asleep on a plane ride."
In reference to Marjorie's photo scandal in 2013, Gretchen hit back at her younger sister, saying, "Nothing wrong with these photos. Fully clothed, no naked photos like of Marjorie itchy-very."
RELATED: Gretchen Barretto reacts to viral Atong Ang photos