Edu confirms break-up with Pinky

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/19/2009 10:26 AM

MANILA - TV host and vice-presidential candidate Edu Manzano on Thursday confirmed that he and his girlfriend of five years, news anchor Pinky Webb, have already called it quits.

Manzano did not deny the reported split, but he refused to discuss the circumstances behind the break-up.

“The personal aspect, maybe we should just keep it to ourselves. I don’t think it will have basis or impact on the campaign. There are just some things that will not always go the way we planned it,” Manzano said in a chance interview after formally accepting his vice-presidential nomination under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD ticket.

Webb did not attend the party’s convention at the Philippine International Convention Center Thursday. Manzano’s celebrity son, Luis Manzano, also failed to appear Thursday.

The elder Manzano said Luis is in the United States.

Both Webb and Luis were caught off guard by Manzano’s decision to run for the county's second-highest public post.

The Philippine Star’s Ricky Lo wrote in his “Funfare” column that Manzano and Webb separated almost a week after the TV host declared his intention to run for vice-president.

In his article, the veteran entertainment journalist said the break-up had nothing to do with Manzano's decision to run as vice-president instead of senator. Lo said his source shot down speculations that a third party on either side was the cause of the break-up.

"Barely a week after Edu Manzano broke the happy news that he has accepted the offer to be Gibo Teodoro’s running-mate in the 2010 elections came the sad news that he and Pinky Webb, his girlfriend of five years, have broken up. Has Edu’s change-of-heart decision to run for vice president instead of (originally) senator anything to do with the split-up?

“No,” said the source code-named Juicy Tongue, “politics has nothing to do with it. Very private ang dahilan.” No “third party” involved daw on either side as in the case of most showbiz break-ups. And to think that Edu and Pinky have been reported to be already talking about getting married. Sayang naman! Stay tuned for more details," Lo said in his article.

Early this week, reports came out that Webb was caught by surprise with Manzano's decision to be the running mate of Lakas-Kampi standard bearer Gilbert Teodoro.

It said Manzano did not tell Webb and his son about his political plan.

During a one-on-one interview on ANC's Talkback with Tina Monzon-Palma on Monday (November 16), Manzano was asked how Webb reacted to his candidacy.

"I think it came as a shock to her, too," Manzano said. He, however, said that Webb supported his decision.

In a previous interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com, the former chairman of the Optical Media Board admitted that he and Webb hope to tie the knot this year.

"It will not be a big wedding, it will not be a showbiz wedding. Marami pa kasing dapat pag-isapan pa doon. I mean, we have been together for, magfi-five years na kami on October 19. So let's say it's a very serious relationship," Manzano said.

He also rebuffed speculation that the two of them would only get married to boost his chances in 2010 polls.

"Relationship should not be used to further someone's ambitions. That's my opinion," Manzano ended. -With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News