ACTRESS Ara Mina has admitted that actor Jomari Yllana was one of the causes of her 16-year rift with actress-turned-politician Aiko Melendez.
“May kinalaman din before kay Jom because ex-husband nya and naging kami. Ang dating, parang nag overlap but it’s not. Kasi siguro may mga ibang tao na nag-a-ano sa amin,” said Mina, during an interview on “Tonight With Boy Abunda” on ABS CBN recently.
But Mina and Melendez have already patched up their differences last month. She shared on the late-night program how they ended their long-time rift.
“Umattend po ako ng isang wake. I saw Ogie (Diaz) and Aiko na pumasok. So bago po ako umupo, bumeso muna ako kay Ogie and bumeso rin ako kay Aiko.
“And then tumabi po sya sa akin and then si Ogie sa kabila. Sabi nya, ‘Uy kumusta ka na?’ Tapos ayun, ok naman, tuloy-tuloy na ang conversation namin.
“Sabi ko ‘OK naman. Andyan yung baby ko magkasunod nga kayo ng birthday.’ Tawa sya ng tawa. Sabi nya ‘ba’t di mo pa ginawa na birthday ko? Ewan ko naglabor ako nung birthday mo pero lumabas sya ng (December) 17.’ Kaya nagtatawanan kami dun sa wake. Sabi nya single ka naman, single din ako, halika date-date tayo,” Mina said.
Mina, 38, believes that Melendez is sincere in her intention to end their gap. “Naramdaman ko naman ‘yung sincerity sa kanya na talagang wala na ‘yung mga past. Ang gaan ng pakiramdam kasi wala naman kaming confrontation.”
Asked when the men of Melendez were also linked to her, Mina said: “Bakit type nila ako? It’s not my fault na ligawan nila ako. Hindi ko naman sinasadya. In fact, ayaw kong makilala si Patrick (Menses) nuon kasi sabi ko ex yan ni Aiko ‘wag na. Tapos ‘yun na.”
Mina said that she and Yllana are still friends.
Mina also said that her partner Meneses are into producing films these days. “May napag usapan kami at natawa na lang kami. Natawa na lang kami kasi we’re both happy at may kanya-kanya na kaming buhay. The following day nagkita yata kami ni Patrick (Meneses). I told him nagkita kami. Sabi nya ‘that’s good.’ Sabi ko nga Patrick is into producing films na. Niloloko nga namin ipo-produce raw nya kami. Kami ‘yung artista sya ‘yung poducer.”
When Abunda joked to Mina about the possible working title for a movie with Melendez, Mina laughed and said: “Yours, Mine, Ours.”
It would be recalled that the gap between the actresses started when Mina became the girlfriend of Yllana, then husband of Melendez.
Mina was even accused of being a homewrecker when she was linked to Yllana.
In 2011, the rift between the stars revived when Mina became the girlfriend of Meneses, who was formerly linked to Melendez, 41.
Three years later, Melendez told PEP that she has forgiven Mina and Meneses.
In 2016, Mina said that she already broke up with Meneses when their baby girl was just three months old. But Mina has an on-and-off relationship with Meneses. They have a daughter Amanda Gabrielle.
