Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero and actress Heart Evangelista have finally taken the time to answer the accusations against their relationship hurled by Heart’s parents, Rey and Cecile Ongpauco, in YES magazine’s May 2013 issue, starting with the rumor about Chiz being an alcoholic.

“I drink. But do I like it? I’d rather drink Coke Zero. Mas masarap (It tastes better),” the senator was quoted as saying in the article by ABS-CBNNews.com. “Bigyan niyo ako ng alkohol na masarap. May masarap ba na alkohol? Nagpapanggap lang tayo na pag sinabi nating masarap 'yung wine, masarap 'yung whiskey, masarap 'yung cognac, sa totoo lang, ang sama (Give me an alcoholic drink that tastes good. Is there an alcoholic drink that tastes good? We’re just pretending when we say that wine tastes good, whiskey tastes good, cognac tastes good, when they actually taste bad)… I have yet to taste an alcoholic beverage that actually tastes good.”

Heart also disproved the rumor that Chiz would lash out at her whenever he got drunk.

“We’ve never really fought about anything,” the actress said. “We are so happy, it should be contagious.”

The couple likewise insisted that Heart’s parents were fine with their relationship before and that their sudden disapproval came as a big surprise to them.

“To begin with, again, we didn’t see this coming. There was no problem, no issue,” Chiz reiterated, adding that he currently does not know how to apologize to the Ongpaucos.

“I would want that, if I know what to do. But you tell me, after everything said, after everything that has been done, how do you go about it? Again, you’re caught flat-footed, completely by surprise, about the things that are being said. You can’t even answer and defend yourself sufficiently because you don’t want to hurt them or other people. What would you do?”

Heart, who also stated that she is not being manipulated by Chiz to do his bidding, later revealed that she is set on distancing herself from her parents until they accept her relationship with the senator.

“Ayaw kong madala sa sitwasyon dahil natakot ako o nami-miss ko sila (I don’t want to get swept away by the situation because I got scared or because I miss them.). I also need to figure out stuff. Even with Chiz, I think that I need this peace first to enjoy what we have,” she said.

“I’m not angry at them. And if I live my life, I continue with what I’m doing, I’m sure naman one day—if they are not ready to see me even from afar—one day they’ll be proud of me. I’ll make sure of that.”

(Photo of Heart Evangelista courtesy of PEP.ph; photo of Chiz Escudero via Wikimedia Commons)