A seemingly minor issue may put an end to the nine-year marriage of Dingdong Avanzado, 42, and Jessa Zaragoza, 31.

So goes the latest talk to hit the well-known showbiz couple, who have kept their singing careers active by moving back and forth between  the Philippines and the United States since August 2007, after taking up residence in the U.S. in 2006. Dingdong is best known for his 1990 hit, "Basta't Kasama Kita," and Jessa had her biggest hit in the 1997 song, "Bakit Pa?"

Last night, August 15, an informant told PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) that several people witnessed how Jessa gave Dingdong the cold shoulder, soon after completing her show at Robinsons in Imus, Cavite.

The reported reason for Dingdong's troubles is unclear. What is apparent is that Dingdong drove from Dasmariñas, Cavite, to pick up his wife from her show in Imus. For some reason, according to the PEP informant, Jessa seemed displeased with Dingdong. In the presence of many onlookers, alleged the informant, Jessa kept ignoring the balladeer, who looked like he was calming her down as they walked towards the parking lot.

In a phone conversation with PEP, the informant said, "Ang daming nakakita. Nandoon ang mga guards, may mga tao. Napansin talaga ng mga tao na things were not okay between them."

This incident, according to the informant, may end up becoming one of the stronger storms in a relationship that has been allegedly rocked by other storms. "They've been having problems...and what happened was embarrassing. Habang inaamo ng lalake ang babae, pinahiya siya. Dami pa namang nakatingin."

Meantime, a TV insider told PEP that, if the Imus incident did happen, then it was not the first time that the couple have figured in an uncomfortable, or downright tense, scene in public.

According to the TV insider, the couple's recent guesting on Love ni Mister, Love ni Misis, the new morning show on GMA-7 of partners Carmina Villarroel and Zoren Legaspi, left the staff of the show feeling a little "tense". The August 10 episode was titled "Ex-Factor," and the discussion was about whether ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends can be friends.

The brief "tense" moment, said the TV insider, happened when Carmina asked Jessa: "Paano kayo nag-jive na tatlo?" The bubbly host was referring to Dingdong and former lover Rachel Alejandro.

Jessa answered: "Actually, hindi lang naman talaga si Rachel. Marami naman talaga siyang ex."

This earned a nervous "Ayayayyay" from Dingdong.

Also according to the same TV insider, other performers who have been in an event with the couple in the past have picked up on "small irritations" between them. And the irritants, added the insider, did not look like they were just borne of the moment.

A COMPLICATED START. The two well-known singers tied the knot in a grand ceremony on March 18, 2001, at the Christ The King Church in Greenmeadows, Quezon City. 

It was a wedding well-covered by the media which, on the side, also reported that the union caused heartbreak for sexy comedian Rufa Mae Quinto, reportedly the immediate past girlfriend of Dingdong and supposedly the best friend of Jessa. 

The three finally managed some "closure" six years later, in 2007, on the set of Showbiz Central, where Dingdong revealed his reason for choosing Jessa. Then just back from the U.S, he said to Rufa Mae on national television: "Alam mo, and alam na rin ng tao na kung ano yung reason kung bakit ko pinili si Jessa...and it has nothing to do with you. Jessa came [at] the right time." (CLICK HERE to read related story.)