Rustom: Admit it mom, I’m your most beautiful daughter

After bagging the Gawad Urian Best Actor plum, Rustom Padilla was in for another pleasant surprise yesterday, September 15, when he guested on GMA-7's Startalk. The day prior to his interview with Butch Francisco, Rustom mentioned his plan of paying his mom a visit. But the plan was aborted as Mommy Eva dropped by the studio of the said talk show to see his son. The mother and son shared a long embrace. AFTER COMING OUT After making his "gay revelation" last March 2006, Rustom recalled that such topic was never brought up or discussed in their big gatherings. It was in December 2006 when things got more awkward. In one of their family dinners, he noticed the silence that pervaded the air when he arrived. From there, he chose to distance himself from them. AFTER THE URIAN WIN The communication lines between him and the Padillas were opened after he bagged the Urian Best Actor plum last Thursday, September 13. Some of them began calling or texting him. "Alam mo, ngayon ko nararamdaman na ‘I'm feeling the love'," Rustom said when asked for a message to his family. Mommy Eva then told Butch that Rustom didn't invite her to attend the award ceremony. Apparently, she and Rustom already talked over the phone during the night he won. Rustom said, "Eh hindi naman kasi ako sigurado kung mananalo ako, eh. Ayoko naman umuwi tayo ng pare-parehong luhaan." When asked to comment about Rustom's coming out, Mommy Eva recalled that she was out of the country when it happened. It was from her other children that she got the information. She admitted she was in denial. She said it was not that easy to accept the fact that one of his boys is gay. And then, she began to notice that Rustom was avoiding them, especially her. She made every effort to get in touch with her son nonetheless. Rustom replied, "Sabi ko, kung talagang hindi mapag-uusapan ito...Pero inilagay ko sa isip ko na ‘sige, papatunayan ko'..." Rustom paused to stop his tears and gather his thoughts. "Papatunayan ko na ‘I will be a good son'. Irregardless [sic] na kung ano ako, basta, I will be a good son. Na hindi ako magiging kahihiyan ng pamilya, at magiging responsible ako para sa sarili ko. Saka darating din ang panahon na maipagmamalaki nila ako bilang anak." Asked if he had ill feelings towards her mom, Rustom was quick to answer that there was none. He added, "Hinihintay ko lang yung tamang panahon na malagpasan yung ang tingin sa akin, ‘ah, si Rustom, bakla iyon, ‘di ba?'. Gusto ko malagpasan... darating din yung panahon na, ‘Ah si Rustom, okay iyan sa ginagagawa niyang trabaho'". How's Mommy Eva taking Rustom's sexual preference now? She didn't answer the question right away. Rustom butted in, "Sa lahat din ng mga magulang na meron mga anak na kagaya ng pinagdaanan ko. Na alam niyo po, Ma, na ang pagiging gay is not a choice, it's really not a choice." His mom replied, "Na umaasa ako, na darating yung panahon na... hindi ko madugtungan. Pero mahal ko ang aking anak." Just to lighten the situation, Rustom jested, "Aminin niyo na Ma, ako ang pinakamaganda ninyong anak. Aminin niyo na iyan. Ako ang nagmana sa kagandahan ninyo." "‘Di ba? Ayaw niyo pa ba iyon? May tatlo na kayong gwapo. Ako ang pinakamaganda, eh, ‘di lahat mayroon na kayo," Rustom said. - Philippine Entertainment Portal