Controversial actress, and now recording artist, Gretchen Barretto stole the spotlight from birthday boy Sen. Jinggoy Estrada last Saturday, February 16, at the Blue Leaf Events Pavillion in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, when she arrived together with longtime partner Tonyboy Cojuangco.

Looking every inch like a tight pair, Gretchen was immediately swamped by cameras and reporters. From the looks of it, the couple, especially Gretchen, was sending a message to the public that all’s well between them.

“Ganito ba yung mga pinalayas?” Gretchen sardonically asked the press. She was referring of course to the rumor that she had been told by an agitated Tonyboy to pack her bags several weeks ago. The business magnate reportedly had enough of Gretchen’s alleged clandestine affair with government official Rodolfo “Dody” Puno.

“Hindi ako pinalayas,” clarified Gretchen, who had to answer the questions thrown at her. “Never ako pinalayas. Mabait na tao si Tony.”

Contesting news reports and all the drama behind it, she candidly admitted that more than herself, it was Tonyboy who felt slighted by the issue.

“To be honest with you, he didn’t take it very well dahil may mga kuwentong totoo… Out of the whole story siguro, ten percent totoo and ninety percent was really just [made] up,” she argued seriously.

“…and I’m grieving that scandal because of all the scandals parang ito yung pinakamasama kasi pinag-mukhang masama si Tony.”

Gretchen humbly owned up to her mistakes during their long relationship.

“Ang alam n’yo kay Gretchen Barretto matapang, mapaglaban and all that,” described Gretchen. “But I also am a child and I also make mistakes. For the past 14 years that I have been with Tony, marami… Parang naging masyadong sheltered ‘yong buhay ko na tuloy nagkakamali ako, at age 37, nagkakamali pa rin ako.

“Pero in the process I learned a lot of things and I experienced a lot of things that I will treasure for the rest of my life.”