Sa taped one-on-one interview ni Ricky Lo kay Ogie Alcasid kahapon, August 14, sa Startalk, naging laman ng panayam ang tungkol sa nalalapit na pagpapakasal nila ni Regine Velasquez.
Sinabi ni Ogie na bago niya inanunsiyo ito sa Party Pilipinas last Sunday, August 8, kinausap muna niya si Regine.
"I told her that I was going to make an announcement because it's important na masabi ko yung detalye kung bakit kami magpapakasal, at regarding my annulment...
"The word is 'final [and] executory.' Kung anuman ang ibig sabihin nun, hindi ko alam." Ayon sa isang abogado, ang ibig sabihin nito ay ang isang desisyon ay puwede nang isakatuparan "and can no longer be subject to appeal." Naging final at executory ang pag-grant sa petition ni Ogie for annulment noong June 21.
At ayon sa singer, "It's important na manggaling sa akin mismo na my marriage with Michelle [Van Eimeren] has been annulled and that I am ready to start my new life."
Natutulog daw siya nang ibaba ang desisyon. "I believe it was 8 o'clock in the morning. My lawyer called me and told me, 'Congratulations!' Of course, hindi agad nag-register sa akin right away and then I realized, 'Oh, this is my lawyer calling me!' and I said, 'Whoa!'
"I felt more like it was a blessing more than, 'Wow, I won, finally!' It wasn't like that. It's more of, 'Thank you, Lord, thank you for the blessing.'"
THE PROPOSAL. Tatlong taon ding hinintay ito nina Ogie and Regine, magmula nang mag-propose ang songwriter sa Asia's Songbird. Ginunita ni Ogie para kay Ricky Lo ang memorable na gabing iyon.
"I asked her to have dinner with me in Prince Albert. Oh, this was three years ago pa, medyo matagal na. We've been engaged for quite a while now. So that's why, di ba, I told you in our hearts we're already married...
"Nung kumakain siya ng steak, e, that's when I popped the question. May mahaba akong pasakalye, na life story, na ganun-ganun muna. Di, siyempre, umiiyak na siya then finally... finally, sinabi ko, 'Marry me, whether you like it or not!' Iyon lang."
Pawang pagkatuwa ang reaksyon raw ng mga pamilya nila, ni Michelle at ng mga anak nila.
"Actually Michelle and Mark [Murrow], when they got married, they've been teasing us already. When we got engaged, of course, I told her right away." At sina Leila at Sarah naman, ang mga anak ni Ogie kay Michelle, "They've been very supportive, they know their Auntie Regine," ang sabi ni Ogie nang ipaalam sa dalawa na engaged na ang tatay nila.
"Mang Gerry is very cool naman always," ang sabi ni Ogie tungkol sa ama ni Regine na si Gerry Velasquez, pero alam niya na gusto na nitong magkaapo kina Ogie at Regine. "Yes, I believe so."
Malaki at pabulosa ba ang kanilang magiging wedding?
"I think in the real sense, hindi rin," sabi ni Ogie. "It's big because... it looks big because marami kaming kaibigan. But hindi naman kami mayaman na maiimbita lahat so we try to make it as simple, as memorable, as special for us and, of course, for those who will be attending the wedding," pahayag ni Ogie.
(CLICK HERE for Part 2)