Edu Manzano wins party nod but loses ‘love of his life’

MANILA – Something happened to actor and TV host Edu Manzano while on his way to accept the vice presidential nomination of the administration’s ruling party. He lost the “love of his life.”

Manzano himself confirmed he has broken up with his girlfriend of five years, Pinky Webb, in an interview with reporters shortly after he accepted the vice presidential nomination of the ruling Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats on Thursday during the party’s national convention at the Philippine International Convention Center in suburban Pasay City, Metro Manila.

Manzano agreed to be the running mate of former secretary Gilberto Teodoro of the Department of National Defense, who was also officially proclaimed on Thursday as the presidential standard bearer of Lakas-Kampi in the May 2010 elections.

During the interview, Manzano insisted his decision to run under the ruling party’s banner has nothing to do with his breakup with Webb, a news anchor at the ABS-CBN, the country’s largest radio and television network.

However, the breakup provided another showbiz flavor to the election campaign because critics said the ruling coalition was forced to draw Teodoro’s running mate from the country’s entertainment industry since the big names in the party have rejected offers to do so.

Despite Manzano’s denial, reliable sources close to the couple, revealed that he did not consult Webb when he agreed to be the running mate of Teodoro.

“Pinky was upset,” admitted the sources who requested anonymity. “As close as they were, she was as surprised as many of us when she learned from others that Manzano already made that big decision.”

The sources explained that Webb learned of Manzano’s decision from an item in the ABS-CBN newscast before it was aired last week.

The sources also said that the couple has been preparing for their marriage sometime next year before the sudden breakup occurred.

Webb is the daughter of former professional basketball star and senator Freddie Webb. Aside from being a news anchor, she is also one of the mainstays, along with Manzano, in the popular talk and variety show of the television network, “Umagang Kay Ganda” (Beautiful Morning), aired from 5:30 am to 8:30 am Monday to Friday.

According to the sources, Webb does not want to give up her job as TV news anchor because “she has worked long enough to reach that enviable position.”

The sources cited an ABS-CBN policy which requires any of their employees in the news department to resign if their spouses or other relatives are running for positions during election time.

They cited the case of another news anchor, Korina Sanchez, who resigned when she became the wife of Senator Mar Roxas, the running mate of Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd who is the standard bearer of the Liberal Party in the May 2010 polls.

For his part, Manzano insisted his breakup with Webb has nothing to do with his decision to join the vice president race next year.

Manzano also said his relationships should not have any bearing on his candidacy as he pointed out: “The personal aspect, I think we should keep to ourselves. I don’t think it’s going to have a real basis or impact on the campaign.”

Manzano had been married twice. The first was to actress Maricel Soriano; and the second to another actress and politician Vilma Santos, the governor of Batangas province in Southern Luzon and the wife of former senator Ralph Recto, with whom he has a son.

He likewise has two children with his one-time live-in partner former actress Rina Samson.

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