Janice De Belen (MNS Photo)
Janice de Belen finally broke her silence amid persistent speculations that she is the real reason Gerald Anderson and Maja Salvador broke up.
De Belen said she did not feel the need to speak up about the matter because “everybody already believed it.”
“Kasi feeling ko wala ng point kasi naniwala na lahat eh. Ano pang point para klaruhin ko ‘yung issue or para i-deny ko or whatever when everybody already believed it? Kaya sabi ko huwag na. Kasi kapag persistent na masyado, Instagram na lang. Ganun na lang kasimple. Isip ka na lang ng pinakamadali – parang your point will get through so ‘yun na lang,” she said.
Both Anderson and Salvador have already denied that de Belen is involved in their breakup.
Just like the former couple, de Belen said she is also clueless as to how the rumor started, especially because she was in Korea when it first surfaced.
“Magandang tanong [kung bakit ako ang natsitsismis], kasi kahit ako hindi ko alam. Bakit ako? Wala bang ibang mas sexy or mas maganda? Bakit ako? I feel na lahat sila, parang ‘yun din ang tanong, ‘Bakit siya?’” she said.
But having been in show business for a very long time, de Belen said she is no longer bothered by reports which she knows are not true.
“Ilang taon ko na ba ginagawa ang pag-aartista? So para sa akin, sanay na ako na natsi-tsismis. Of course ang worry ko lang was my children. Tinanong lang nila ako. Tapos sinagot ko na ‘yung katanungan, klaro na. Alam na kaagad nila,” she said.
According to de Belen, she remains friends with Anderson despite the issue, although she also admitted that she considered distancing herself from the actor just so the rumors would die.
“Hindi naman [kami awkward]. Wala lang talaga kaming chance na magkita. Alam mo naisip ko yan. Paano kapag nagkita kami? Kasi more than the tsismis itself, nakakasira kasi yung tsismis ng friendships. So feeling ko, dapat ba akong umiwas? Dapat ba wag ko na lang siya pansinin? Or dapat ba kapag nakita ko siya, tumakbo ako palayo para wala na lang masabi ‘yung tao?”
“‘Di ba dapat ang basis ng friendship niyo, kung magkaibigan kayo, kahit ano pa ang sabihin ng ibang tao, dapat walang magbago. Although I really thought about that para wala na lang masabi ang tao. But then, if you do that, mukha akong guilty ‘di ba? That’s why I never bothered to take down any pictures from my Instagram. I never bothered to unfollow anybody kasi bakit?” she explained.
Nonetheless, de Belen said she is thankful to both Anderson and Salvador for clearing her name. The two Kapamilya stars, in separate interviews, said they have nothing but respect for the “Oh My G” actress.
“Hindi naman nila kailangan gawin because there really is no reason to. Siguro out of their respect and their love for me kaya nila ginawa ‘yun. I am really very thankful,” she said.
Asked how she will act if she comes across Anderson, de Belen said: “I will still hug him as tight. I will still be that close to him kasi wala naman talaga. It’s really weird.”
De Belen portrayed Salvador’s mother in “Ina, Kapatid, Anak,” a year after she played Anderson’s mom in the 2012 primetime series, “Budoy.” (MNS)