MANILA, Philippines - Feisty senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has admitted to being instrumental in the blooming relationship between actress Heart Evangelista and lawmaker Chiz Escudero.
Santiago made the revelation in an interview on dzBB Sunday, saying that she was the one who introduced the two.
The 67-year old lawmaker was hesitant at first to talk further about the relationship as she deems commenting on it would be inappropriate.
"Because I'd be making a statement about the future of someone who is hindi ko ari," said Santiago.
But she eventually relented.
Santiago said the two are now going out but she maintained that she doesn't keep track of the minutiae of the relationship. Apparently Santiago is confident that Evangelista is astute enough to realize if a suitor is sincere enough.
"Si Heart sanay siya na namamatay ang tao 'pag dumadaan siya. May joke na, 'Condolence ha, alam kong patay na patay ka sa akin.' Kaya hindi na mabola 'yan, lahat na klaseng bola narinig na niya," Santiago said.
Santiago added, however, that if ever Evangelista would decide to walk the aisle with Escudero she would advise her to have the latter sign a prenuptial agreement that she herself would draft.
"I would have to ask her, as her surrogate mother, to make him sign the prenuptial agreement that I would write down," she said.
Santiago added that Evangelista should do well to prepare for a sudden change of lifestyle if she marries Escudero as she believes the senator might just go all the way to Malacañang.
"Magiging drastic ang pagbabago ng buhay niya kung mag-asawa siya," she said.
Escudero simply laughed when told about Santiago's pre-nup proposal.
In an interview with a newspaper, Escudero insisted that he and Evangelista have yet to reach that level.
"Hindi pa naman namin pinag-uusapan lahat 'yan," he maintained.
Evangelista agreed as much, saying in a separate interview that she just wants to take it easy when it comes to love this point in her life.
"I'm not really in a rush," she said.
Evangelista did admit that she is currently seeing Escudero, but she insisted she doesn't want to put a label on the relationship.
"Yes, we talk about lot of things. But, dating ba 'yan or a meeting or going out? I'm just confused," she said.
Asked if she thinks it possible that it would lead to something more romantic, Evangelista turned coy.
"Ask me probably after six months or a year... I don't know. Hindi ko pa alam, 'no? I don't want to plan things," she said.
Evangelista was a maid of honor at the renewal of vows of Senator Santiago and her husband, Narciso Santiago Jr., last year. She broke up with her last boyfriend, the model-actor Daniel Matsunaga, a few months ago.
Escudero is Santiago's colleague in the senate. He was once married to former singer, Christine "Tintin" Flores. The union was recently annulled. The two have twin children, now almost four years old, who are living with Escudero.
