Unti-unti nang nagkukuwento si Ruffa Gutierrez tungkol sa lalakeng inspirasyon nito sa kasalukuyan.
Sa panayam sa kanya ni Dra. Vicki Belo, hindi nagbanggit ng pangalan si Ruffa, pero base sa mga sinabi niya, mahuhulaan na si former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista ang kanyang tinutukoy.
Read: Ruffa Gutierrez reacts to critics who say Herbert Bautista is not the marrying type
Matagal nang nauugnay ang dalawa sa isa’t isa pero ngayon lamang nagbabahagi si Ruffa ng kuwento tungkol sa maganda at positibong impluwensiya sa kanya ni Herbert.
Read: Ruffa Gutierrez, kakaiba ang first date kasama si Herbert Bautista
“Physical, that’s the first thing that you see. But para sa akin, importante to get the same values. You’re God-fearing, he protects you, you feel safe with them, he inspires you to be a better person.
"And I think the person that I’m dating right now inspires me to be a better person,” lahad ni Ruffa sa pag-uusap nila ni Dr. Belo na mapapanood sa YouTube channel nito.
Patuloy ng aktres, “I’ve said it before and I'll say it again, hindi ako nakapagtapos ng college kung hindi dahil sa kanya.
“[Sabi niya], ‘Kaya mo ‘yan.’ Sabi ko, 'Yeah, okay. I’ll just take up short course.' Uso noong pandemic yung master class, three months, two months.
“I even took up Designs of Well-Being in Yale University, two weeks lang yon.
“And he said, ‘Hindi, tapusin mo yung college mo. Kaya mo yon.’
“Now, I’m studying again, kasi mahilig mag-aral itong taong ito. And now I am studying again, taking up my Master's, so he’s leading me towards the right path."
Dagdag pa ni Ruffa, “Only God knows kung magkakatuluyan kami in the future or not, but what’s nice is he’s directing me to that path na kahit na alam kong kaya ko ba ito, 'Kakayanin ko ba ito? Para sa akin ba ito?' [Sabi niya], 'Hindi, kaya mo yan.'
"He makes me a better person, and I think that’s what I need now."
DOES AGE REALLY MATTER?
Sa mga lalakeng nagkaroon ng kaugnayan kay Ruffa, si Herbert ang mas nakatatanda dahil anim na taon ang agwat ng kanilang mga edad.
Fifty-four years old na si Herbert at 48 naman si Ruffa.
Mas matanda si Ruffa ng tatlong taon sa ex-husband nitong si Yilmaz Bektas, at labinlimang (15) taon naman ang agwat ng edad nila ng ex-boyfriend niya, ang French national na si Jordan Mouyal.
Ruffa with ex-husband Yilmaz Bektas
Ruffa with ex-boyfriend Jordan Mouyal
Pero hindi ito isyu kay Ruffa.
Saad niya, “Age doesn’t matter as long as you’re mature, number one.
"I think age is just a number, honestly, kasi there’s some people daw... I mean, I don’t date a lot of young, old guys.
"Even Yilmaz, surprisingly, lahat nagulat na he’s three years younger than me.
“The ex [Jourdan], matagal. Kasintagal ni Yilmaz.
"Guys, I’m a long-termer. I don’t change boyfriends like clothes.
“Seven years kami ni Yilmaz.
"Seven years kami ng French boyfriend ko. He was fifteen years younger than me but he was very mature. He was able to cope naman with how I am."
Ayon pa kay Ruffa, "But like I said, age is just a number, and for me, hindi ko kaya kapag may betrayal. Yung sinasabi nila na guys cheating.
“I’d rather you leave them na and just do your own thing. Bakit kailangan mag-cheat kaya kailangan na talaga ng divorce sa Pilipinas?”
CHEATING AND BETRAYAL
Nang banggitin ni Ruffa ang salitang "betrayal," nagkomento at nagtanong si Dr. Belo: “I know that your ex is dating one of your best friends and I know that girl coz she’s really somebody close to you and you’re such a wonderful friend. So how does that feel?”
Pag-amin ni Ruffa, “In the beginning, siyempre galit ka, kasi kaibigan mo, di ba? I left kasi the person.
"I left him because I didn’t see a future with him so it’s very clear na wala naman siyang naging kasalanan sa akin.
“It’s just that I wasn’t growing anymore after seven years, it’s time for you to think na where is this relationship going? Is it still inspiring me to be the best person that I can be?
“I just didn’t know sasaluhin siya ng isa sa mga close friend ko.
"Alam ko naman, makikipag-date siya. Alam ko naman yon dahil pinakawalan ko na nga, pero para i-date ng friend ko na malapit talaga sa akin, it’s more of the betrayal of the friendship.
“But now, looking back in hindsight, I know that there’s something better waiting for me.
"And that’s the reason why we didn’t get along to begin with, is because may naghihintay na para sa akin na bigay ni Lord.
“I think it’s time for me to be with someone that God chooses for me. Not to sound super holy, but I think yun ang totoo.
"Kasi, we always choose one’s that we like, that we desire.
“This time, I just wanna say, 'God, Ikaw na ang bahala sa akin. I wanna leave all my worries, all my pains up to You and Kayo na ang magbigay ng tamang tao para sa akin.'
"And I think that’s the best."