Marami raw gumawa ng kwento kay Romnick noong mga panahong inanunsyo nila ni Harlene Bautista ang kanilang hiwalayan. Paano niya pinagdaanan ang matinding panghuhusga dahil naging parte sila ng sikat na love team?
Totoo kayang ipinagdasal niyang huwag sanang mapalapit sa kanyang partner ngayon na si Barbara? Alamin ang sagot sa video.
Totoo kayang ipinagdasal niyang huwag sanang mapalapit sa kanyang partner ngayon na si Barbara? Alamin ang sagot sa video.
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00:00Hello again updaters this is part 2 of our conversation with certified 90s chinito heartthrob
00:11and now 2024 best actor for about us but not about us Mr. Romnick Sarmenta and for the first
00:20time magsasalita sya tungkol sa dating asawang si Harleen Bautista at sa mga anak nilang pumasok
00:26na rin sa showbiz and syempre may chikahan tayo tungkol sa kanyang newfound love at sa kanyang bagong
00:33baby three-year-old son. There were times daw na parang gusto mo nang magquit sa showbiz pero hindi
00:44natutuloy. Actually I did the first time bata ako siguro mga 11 or 12 may lumabas kasing article na
01:01may nag interview sa akin kung ano trabaho ng mami ko and during that time my mom was working as
01:06a promo girl or sales girl ng wrangler sa Kubaw. Kasi sa wrangler sya nagtatrabaho so nalilipat sya
01:14from COD to SM and you know I'm very proud of her. So sinabi ko promo girl sya laging nakatayo
01:23and then somehow yung lumabas dun sa article was parang parang call girl ang ermad ko. So that
01:33really offended me to the point where I said teka nguna ayaw ko ito na parang escort or something
01:39beside it was a bit degrading and I wanted to stop and it was my mom who convinced me not to
01:45pero I did take a break siguro wala pang isang taon and then dumating ako dun sa awkward stage na
01:51hindi alangaling teenager alangaling adolescent. So wala akong regular after 12 I was doing
01:59Jessie with Janice Tribelin for Channel 2 and then pag tap ako ng mga 13 pumasok yung Talents
02:09Unlimited ni Kuya Ike. That was even before DATS Entertainment. It was in ABS and then
02:18pumasok ako ng DATS siguro mga 16 na ako. So between 13 to 16 I was not doing regulars.
02:29I was doing guestings lang. There's Connie Reyes on camera, there's Lovingly Aracely and there's
02:34Panahon with Susan Rosas among others and I was doing pilots for shows most of the time at that
02:41time. So parang parang in between lang sya hindi talaga ako ganun ka-active and then there's the
02:50stretch between mid-2000s, early hanggang siguro mga 2015 or 2016 na hindi ako tumatanggap talaga
03:07ng trabaho. I wanted to spend more time with my kids because they were growing up. I would still
03:15choose to spend more time with the kids growing up. Until now? Until now. I would always choose
03:25that over things. Sa bagay eh. Hindi mo naman babalik yung edad eh. No? Pag lumaki yung mga
03:32bata, lumaki na talaga sila eh. Hindi mo na pwedeng gawing bata eh. Marami kang maminis out. And I
03:39think one of the saddest things is finding that you don't know your children. That's true. So
03:48that is true. Titigil ako pagkating sa ganun. And I spent a little time trying to learn different
03:56businesses during that time. Mapayag akong mag-guest very rarely. I would do maala-ala mo
04:03kaya, magpakailan man. Pero I would not do active series for a while. Siguro mga between 2005 to
04:172015 mga ganun. Lalabas lang ako. Every once in a blue moon. And then titigil ako ulit. And usually
04:29mga nakapag-guest sakin are really good friends from the business. Either the director or the
04:37producer or the writer. Yung hindi mo mapahindian. Oo eh. Mayir bumindi sa mga kaibigan mo talaga eh
04:43diba? So, and you know, they were always very, very kind in asking. I never heard na parang
04:52as a favor. Hindi naman talaga. They just, most of them just really believe na,
04:57uy, sayang to. Ang ganda nung role. Mas gusto ko sana ikaw gumawa. Ganun, baka pwede ka na naman.
05:02So, sige tara. Ganyan. Yun yung usually pinagawa ko.
05:09Q1. Yung anak mo, artista na ngayon?
05:13A1. Gulit niya ako. Gusto pala nila. So, si Zeki before.
05:17Q2. Bakit hindi? In the blood.
05:21A1. No, I have nothing against it.
05:30You will find a lot of challenges. You will find a lot of struggles. And there
05:35could be a lot of hardship in it. So, pag pinasok mo siya, please bear in mind that
05:42whether you push through with it or tumigil ka for whatever reason, whether kayanin mo o
05:48or ma-pressure ka for any reason, either way mag-artista ka o hindi, I am in the same way
05:55very proud of you. Kung gusto mo siya, go. Kung iniisip mo na kailangan mo siyang gawin
06:00dahil sa'min, I won't. Diba? You follow what you want.
06:05Q2. Lumalapit ba siya sa'yo for advices, knowing na, siyempre, of course,
06:10you have been in the industry for a long time.
06:12A2. Lumalapit naman, nagtatanong naman. Lalo na pag script read, minsan siya sabi niya,
06:19bakit ganito to? Anong ibig sabihin ito? Bakit ganito siya ka-adjective? Ganito siya
06:24sa'yo. Basahin mo lang, tuloy-tuloy. Tinanan mo ko ano yung pupuntahan, yung arc ng storya,
06:30tas yung arc ng character. And then, we have interesting conversations about the different
06:36ways she can read her script. But more importantly, we have good conversations about
06:43how to deal with people off-cam. Kasi sa tingin ko, mas importante yun eh. Pwede kang mag-develop
06:53sa skill. Pwede kang mag-mature as an actor. Pero dapat mauna yung mag-mature ka as a person.
07:02Mm-hmm. Nico, since we're talking about your kid, kakambyo ako, let's get personal.
07:11Ito, suntok sa banto. I don't know if we can talk about it, but of course, we know na yung
07:19separation ninyo ni Harleen years ago. I'm not going to say it was easy.
07:28Nothing is easy pagdating sa ganyan. Oh, you know, I did, I probably did
07:37one of the worst things you can do during that time. I read some comments. I saw some posts.
07:45There was a point when it was, when it felt like parang existential questions ang kailangan.
07:50Parang ganun. You know, you spend a number of years in a relationship and
07:59I'm not saying that I am blameless, but I cannot accept the blame they're trying to put
08:09on me. Yung ganun. Not those. Hindi ko ginawa yun eh. But you know, I also felt like
08:17any form of defense, any form of story
08:24is smooth. So as long as I know the truth, Harleen knows the truth, that children
08:32knows the truth, parang wala na akong kailangan patunayan or linawin sa kahit nasino. They can
08:39go ahead and think of whatever they want to think of me. Because at the end of the day,
08:44they can keep that version. And that's fine. Kung ano man ang gustong tinging sa akin ang ibang
08:49tao, that's fine. Ang importante sa akin yung tingin ko sa sarili ko, yung pagkakakilala ko sa
08:55sarili ko. And how I'm going to strive to become the best version of myself ayon sa pagkakakilala
09:04at pagkakaintindi ko sa sarili ko. So yeah, it is difficult. Pero it's also
09:10in a way, self-realizing and self-revealing, mas makikilala mo yung sarili mo, in a sense.
09:24Pero to tell you honestly, I mean, being your friend and being a friend of Harleen's,
09:31I really did not see that coming. Sa totoo lang, nagulat ako. Pero there is no way that I would
09:40want to confirm with the both of you, knowing na baka pag nagtanong ako, ma-offend kayo.
09:46No, but I appreciate that. Actually, I was never able to speak about it because when we decided
09:55that, we told each other na parang magpag-interview, let's just put out a common statement.
10:02And then wag na tayo magpag-interview. Kasi lalaki lang and papangit lang. And we have
10:09children not only to protect, but also to keep safe from these things.
10:17Huwag na rin nilang mabasa itong mga ito. Let them keep that privacy, that respect for us and for
10:25themselves. So nag-decide kami ganoon. And I have to say this now that I have the chance na parang,
10:32I am grateful. I am grateful for everyone who decided not to ask.
10:40Because it means something. To me, that means, at the very least, giving you space and respecting
10:47us as a person on a higher level or on a deeper level. Yung respeto sa'yo bilang kayo ibigan. And
10:54I so appreciate that more than anything. I think, no, you're one of those people who knows naman
11:00how to ask permission. And I have very few. I can count them with one hand.
11:10I have very few people na I can be very candid with. Kasi alam ko na pag sinabi ko,
11:16uy atin lang ito ha. Hindi ito para lumabas. I just wanna confirm or share with you these things.
11:25And that also allows me to be very open when it comes to the interview proper. Kasi
11:34I feel seen as a person. I feel respected as a person. And pag ganoon yung pakiramdam mo,
11:41then you know na when a question comes in, it's not meant to sensationalize. Para ibandera ka na
11:50ganito ka or ganito ka. But rather giving you the opportunity to clear things up.
11:58But okay naman, okay na kayo ni Harleen?
12:03Yeah. We've always been able to communicate naman. We've had an open communication from
12:09the very start. We have an agreement with the kids. We have an agreement on all the other stuff.
12:17I would like to think that we mutually respect each other. Parin, you know,
12:21being the parent of our children and having spent all those years together.
12:34Pero of course, needless to say, you found love after that.
12:39Yeah, I did. I did. I am grateful. There was a question of faith on my part at one point.
12:51And I think, no, I believe that that question of faith was also partially answered when she came,
12:59when Barbara came. I prayed kasi na ilayo siya sa akin.
13:16That's the name of your partner, of course.
13:18Yeah, yeah. I was having that little existential crisis nung time na yun na parang
13:23makakasakit lang ako. Maybe I'm not ready for responsibility again or whatever. I don't want
13:37to hurt anyone. Ayokong dumating dun sa point na para lang akong chasing tail and getting older
13:44and finding younger girls to chase. Kasi I have kids. I have daughters. I don't want them to
13:51think na, ay, naging ganun si Papa. Fatally, do you do this?
13:57Yeah, but you know, you wake up one day and you realize you want to get to spend more time. You
14:07want to get to know this person more. And when you finally do, when you finally have the chance to
14:15pick each other's brains, parang gusto ko siya makasama. And I decided, yeah.
14:22Hindi mo kayang pigilan ng puso, Niko. Ano ka ba?
14:25Oo nga. Oo nga. Totoo yun. Pero hindi ako naniniwala dun sa hindi ka makakapamili.
14:33Kasi para sakin, palagi ang, araw-araw na pagpili yung pagmamahal sa isang tao, eh.
14:41Di ba? I mean,
14:42Totoo yun.
15:12parang hindi niya naisip na ganun pala ako. At makakapagpabago or makakagulo nung image na yun
15:17na bino-own. Pipiliin mo pa rin ba akong mahalin? Yan yung tanong, eh.
15:22Ang poetic naman.
15:24Hindi, di ba?
15:25Hindi, totoo. Realistic, but yet it's poetic.
15:29Di ba? Thank you. I think that's really the basis of choosing someone and choosing to love a person.
15:36parang pag nabasag yung marble image na ginawa mo yung tao niya, mamahalin mo pa rin ba?
15:45Pipiliin mo pa rin ba? Kaya mo pa bang sabihin, tama yung pagpili ko, tama yung decision ko?
15:51At kaya kong pangindigan ito? Not out of pride, not out of nakakahiya.
15:57Hindi yun. Pero sinabi mo kasi ang mahal mo, eh.
16:00Di ba? Sinabi mo ang mahal mo, eh.
16:05Ako din, you know, I'm gonna try to be, again, a good and better version of myself.
16:11Pero when a person that I choose to love is there, I'm gonna do everything I can para
16:22maging best version din siya ng sarili mo. Kung paano man ako makatulong.
16:27It's a two-way thing. It's a two-way thing all the time. Kasi, di ba, I think it's batuhan ng energy.
16:35Like parang yung good energy na naibabato mo, I'm sure ibabalik din sa'yo. And, you know,
16:41you better yourself and your partner betters yourself. And, you know, you kind of have that
16:47sweet, positive competition na pabubuti niyo yung isa't-isa.
16:55And I have to say, I understood this better because of Barbara. You know, she's,
17:02she's very supportive and very helpful in knowing more about myself.
17:14She would ask the right questions. She would encourage me the right way.
17:18She, she's able to bring out a smile even when I feel like,
17:31she's able to point out a point of clarity or something that I miss.
17:48And she's probably the light that you were waiting for.
17:51I would, I would believe so. She, she does brighten up my surroundings.
17:57How's that for you? Like parang to have a kid at 50?
18:02It's amazing. It's amazing.
18:04Hindi ba nakakatangot at all?
18:06Hindi naman. Binsan natatawa si Barbara kasi kitang-kita niya pag binubuhad ko si Raza na parang
18:12medyo subasakit likad ko kasi laking bata eh. Pero it's amazing. To me, it's grace na
18:20the Lord in His goodness decides to give me a boy at this age that I get to see him.
18:28Ang palagi kong iniisip, if hindi pa siya yung huli kong ana, yay!
18:37Hindi tayo sure, diba?
18:39Sana nakita ko lang silang maayos na lumaki.
18:43Because you know, like even Bo, the one who's coming out on Net 25,
18:51there were times she looked at me and she goes, Pa, you're getting old.
18:56Are you going to be around when this happens, when this happens?
18:59And I go, yeah, I hope so. There's still a lot of you. I still want to see all of you
19:05have a good life. I want to spend a lot of years with Barbara. So I hope so.
19:25Kids are so much joy. Raza is just so sweet and funny.
19:32And one of the best gifts is that he's so well-loved by his siblings as well.
19:40They love spending time together in this house. They would take care of him.
19:45He is so different. All of them, all of them are so different from each other.
19:50But at the same time, they are similar.
19:58Wala eh, may kanya-kanya silang personality eh.
20:01There are some strong resemblances, lalo na pag mainit ang ulo ng mga bata,
20:07pag tumingin sila ng pailalim, alam kong ako yung kamukha nila.
20:22Okay, Nico, you know, we've been talking for about an hour now and,
20:27you know, ang dami mong na-share. I will end this with two things. Actually,
20:32three things. Tanungin ko muna kita, how would you like to be remembered as a father?
20:38That I did what I could. I don't think I'm, you know, your children will always say you're the
20:43best father and I appreciate that super. But I hope they also accept the fact when I say,
20:50sometimes I feel like I could have done more. I just wasn't able to.
20:56Regrets? Pero kang regrets as a father?
21:00No, not really. I think it's more of, as parents, we want everything for our children. As parents,
21:10we want everything to be instantaneous for them. Not to spoil them. Pero sana,
21:16diba, as a parent, ang naisip mo, sana, sana you can just choose between the top five schools that
21:23you want and I could easily afford all of them. All of you. Sana ganoon. Yan yung gusto mo eh.
21:32Sana pag nawala ako, I could leave with you your own home and a bank account and enough to start
21:40off your own business. Sana ganoon. Pero hindi ka sigurado eh. So, there are things na maraming
21:46sana. And I think every parent has that. And my faith in God says I can hope and dream for all.
21:56But if there comes a time that I go and I'm not able to give that to my children,
22:02I hope they remember that I did my best.
22:08As an actor, how would you like to be remembered?
22:11Actor?
22:18That I just wanted to tell stories. I am not acting for fame. I'm not acting for awards.
22:26I appreciate getting paid for my work. But I'm not acting for money. I want to tell good stories.
22:34I want people to be able to feel and understand themselves through the
22:41characters and the stories that they watch. Hopefully, I am able to help them.
22:47I totally believe you in that. Sa totoo lang. Yun ang nakikita ko ngayon eh.
22:52Eto, may tanong ako, what is your best mistake?
22:57My best mistake is being so stubborn na hindi ako nakinig doon sa tahang kasama ko at naglilakad-lakad
23:09ako sa broadcast city. Kasi I ended up seeing this line of kids and I thought, nagkamali ako.
23:17Kala ko kukuha lang sila ng lollipop doon sa mama sa dulo. Yun pala audition niyang line.
23:23And I ended up auditioning for Pipin. That's probably my best mistake.
23:29So it was a mistake sa simula?
23:32It wasn't planned. I never heard of any auditions. I wouldn't have gone if I knew it was an audition.
23:40No one brought me there. Naglalakad lang ako sa broadcast city. Sinama ko para manood ng isang
23:45show at naglilakad-lakad ako. So it was a mistake.
23:49But that mistake changed your life.
23:54Yes.
23:59I will let you go by turning the tables around, Nico. Ikaw naman magtatanong sa akin ng isang
24:04tanong. Because it's one of my ways to pick your brain. What's inside your mind?
24:11You are a journalist, a reporter, a bringer of news. And you have had the opportunity to
24:22ask most often both sides of the story. How do you gauge where you stand? Or how do you keep
24:37yourself centered?
24:42Okay. I always say this that the middle ground is the best place to be in. The middle ground.
24:52But it's the hardest to attain. Sometimes yung middle ground na yun can be tainted by personal
25:00issues, can be tainted by friendship, can be, you know, maraming pwedeng makasira dun sa middle
25:10ground na yun. Pero parati kong ibinabalik yung prinsipyo ko na wala akong kikilingan.
25:20Sometimes ang hirap-hirap na pag yung ini-interview mo artista, na kaibigan mo,
25:26and alam mong hindi nagsasabi ng totoo. Or sometimes alam mong makakasama sa kanya.
25:31But, you know, I'm in the business of truth. Hindi ko ginagawa ito para mapasama yung isang tao.
25:40Pero kung di ilabas yung katotohanan. So ako, I will just take things at face value. Kung ano yung
25:46ibinigay sa akin, kung ano yung sinabi sa akin. Yun ang ilalagay ko sa report ko.
25:51Nang walang halong opinion, nang walang halong paniniwala. Kasi ang pinaniwalaan ko parati
26:01yung katotohanan. Yun lang. You're on a safe space then. I hope so. And kasi parati akong
26:10naniniwala na ang mga artista ay tao rin. And meron din silang pakiramdam. At hindi 24-7
26:21nakangiti sila. So, kailangan yung pag i-invade mo yung a little bit of their privacy. Dapat may
26:30respeto. Dapat may paalam. Dapat may pasabi. Dapat hindi ka dapat tumatapak do sa mga bagay na
26:38hindi mo dapat tapakan. I respect that. I know, and allow me to say this, I am really grateful
26:50for our friendship. And I'm glad that early on naramdaman mong friendship yung yakabot ko.
26:57In this world, parang in this business, minsan we get too jaded. We don't get to identify what kind
27:07of hand we're being given. So, I appreciate our friendship. And I'm so happy that you were able to
27:14do this. And that I'm able to be here. And tumating na tayo sa ganitong edad. Sa ganitong
27:22point. And we're still here. And ako rin, magta-thank you ako sayo for giving me that respect
27:28over the years. You know, the respect to say no and the respect to say yes. Nakuha ko lahat sa
27:37inyo yun. Nakuha ko sayo yun. And I really love my industry. And yung mga taong katulad mo makes
27:47it better. Thank you very much, Romnick. Maraming salamat, maraming salamat. Pero Nico, thank you.
27:52Thank you talaga. Thank you for opening up. You know, there are moments for
27:58valuable and meaningful conversations. This is one of those moments.
28:22Thank you.