Tahimik lamang ang basketbolistang si James Yap nang unang matanong siya ng press kung handa ba niyang ipaglaban ang pamilya nila ng TV host-actress na si Kris Aquino. Ibang-iba ito sa ipinakita niyang determinasyon noong nakaraaang buwan, ilang araw matapos umamin si Kris sa The Buzz na sumusuko na siya sa kanilang pagsasama. (CLICK HERE to read related article.)

Nito namang kaharap niya ang media kaninang hapon, Agosto 16, bahagyang tumatango ang 28-year-old na atleta, ngunit hindi naman ito nagbigay ng anumang tugon sa katanungang pa ring ito. Kasama niya ang kanyang counsel na si Atty. Lorna Kapunan, na siyang mas sumasagot sa mga tanong. (CLICK HERE to read related article) 

Ayon sa kanyang abogado, gusto nilang siguruhin muna ni James ang kanyang magiging sagot bago ito sabihin sa publiko. Paliwanag ni Atty. Kapunan, "We have told him to think about his answer because [this is about] the future, his future and that of Kris. So, if you don't mind, let's let him think about this. Hindi pa niya alam ang sagot."

Gayunman, inamin ng two-time PBA Most Valuable Player na hindi agad-agad mawawala ang pagmamahal sa asawa.

"Hindi naman basta-basta mawawala 'yong love, e. Nandoon pa rin 'yon. Hindi rin naman natin maipipilit kung ayaw na sa 'yo," ani James.

MARRIED IN GOOD FAITH. Sa panayam na ito, inamin ni James na dalawang beses silang ikinasal ni Kris. Bukod sa civil wedding nila noong July 10, 2005, nagkaroon ng isang pang seremonya dalawang linggo bago ito. 

Subalit, taliwas sa mga unang napabalita, ang parehong kasal ay pinangunahan ni Rayda P. Tumaliuan, minister of Holy Sacrament International Church, at hindi ng dating Quezon City mayor at ngayo'y congressman na si Sonny Belmonte.

Ayon kay Atty. Kapunan, inulit ang civil wedding sa parehong lugar, sa bahay ng business manager ni Kris na si Boy Abunda, sa dahilang sa edad ni James noon, 23, kinailangan niyang humingi ng parental consent.

Dagdag na paliwanag ni Atty. Kapunan, "Dalawang beses, because James then was only 23 years old. Under the law, if you're on the age of 21-25, you are required to get parental advice. So, may form 'yon ng parental advice. Siguro, na-notice nila after the ceremony, hindi nakapirma ang parents niya [James], so hinabol 'yong form for parental advice."

Sa usapin naman ng pagbibigay ng karapatan sa taong nagkasal sa kanila—na siyang dahilang ibinigay ni Kris upang ma-"nullify" ang kasal nila ni James—sinagot ng abogado ni James na naganap ang kasalan "in good faith." (CLICK HERE to read related article.) 

Sabi ni Atty. Kapunan, "Sa batas, maski walang authority 'yong solemnizing officer, pag in good terms ang two parties, that is the exception to the law. Even the legal grounds that they're using, masyado namang stretched to suit their purposes. 

"In this instance, both of them believed. I mean, like most marriages, I would assume that they were both in love. When you're in love, you don't ask, 'May authority ka ba to marry us?' So, they were both in good faith, and let's keep it at that.'"

Nabanggit din niya kinalaunan, "Sa batas nakalagay, if both parties believed, both in good faith... pareho naman silang in good faith. Knowledge in good faith is also an exception to that rule. Kasi, ang rule doon, ang officiating person dapat may authority. Secondly, the contracting parties, the bride and groom, must belong to the same religious sect. If it's, let's say, marriage outside [one's] sect, there must be expressed consent. 

"Ang exception sa lahat ng 'yon is good faith of the parties. So, ang sinasabi na pareho silang Roman Catholic, they were acting in good faith that the female minister was authorized. They were acting in good faith, they didn't know they have pala to belong to that Christian sect. They were acting in good faith when both of them relied on other people fixing the marriage ceremony."

Pormal na sasagutin ni James ang "petition for the declaration of nullity of marriage" ni Kris Aquino, na kanyang natanggap noong Agosto 11, sa mga susunod na araw. Sa ngayon, nakatuon ang pansin ni James sa kanyang hiling sa korte na magkaroon ng karapatang makita ang anak na si Baby James. (CLICK HERE to read related article.)