LOOK BACK: Kris Aquino’s Controversial Relationships Through the Years
Who among the men from Kris Aquino’s past could have been her perfect match?

Who Among the Men from Kris Aquino’s Past Could Have Been Her Perfect Match?

Born on Valentine’s Day—the world’s celebration of love—Kris Aquino’s romantic history has been a mix of highs and heartbreaks, all played out in the public eye.

As she turned 46 on February 14, 2017, PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) took a look back at the most controversial men linked to the Queen of All Media.

Could one of them have been the perfect match for her?

1. Alvin Patrimonio
He was a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) superstar when he caught Kris Aquino’s attention.

“He was once my fantasy,” Kris candidly shared in a 2000 interview with Boy Abunda on Private Conversations.

Kris fondly remembered how Alvin admitted his crush on her on national television. “When he sent me tickets to watch his first game, that started it all.”

She revealed that their relationship went “far enough” for Alvin to be the first man she ever cried over. However, she admitted that she felt she wasn’t “gorgeous enough” for him to seriously pursue a relationship.

“Unfortunately, at the time, may nauna na sa akin. Cindy was already part of the picture. Siguro crush lang ako,” she said, referring to Cindy Conwi, who married Alvin in 1989.

Looking back, Kris said she regretted one missed opportunity: not answering Alvin’s phone call on the night of her 18th birthda

2. Aga Muhlach
In the same Private Conversations interview, Kris Aquino revealed a heartfelt truth: “Aga Muhlach was my first love.”

Though she didn’t go into detail about how their relationship began or ended, the admission alone spoke volumes about how deeply she once felt for him.

Kris and Aga shared the screen in two films—Humanda Ka Mayor! (Bahala na ang Diyos) in 1993 and Bakit Pa Kita Minahal? in 1994—sparking on-screen chemistry that many believed mirrored a real-life romance.

3. Gabby Concepcion
Kris Aquino found herself in the middle of a high-profile courtship when Gabby Concepcion began pursuing her—at a time when her mother, Corazon Aquino, was still serving as the President of the Philippines.

The two co-starred in the 1990 film Pangako Ng Puso, and their off-screen closeness became a hot topic.

In a 2003 Kontrobersyal interview with Boy Abunda, Teddy Boy Locsin—who served as the late president’s minister of information and legal counsel—shared that Kris’s suitors, including Gabby, were subject to scrutiny by the Presidential Security Group.

“The presidential security gave me a picture of Gabby and her. So we were watching out for her,” he recalled, shedding light on how seriously her family took her safety, especially when it came to matters of the heart.

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4. Robin Padilla
Kris Aquino first crossed paths with Robin Padilla during her televised 18th birthday special.

The action star, who had openly admitted to having a major crush on Kris, began courting her by sending heartfelt love letters. Eventually, the two became a couple, and Robin recalled how Kris would often bring him to official events at Malacañang Palace, given that her mother, Corazon Aquino, was the sitting president at the time.

Despite their romance, rumors circulated that Kris’s mother disapproved of their relationship. Robin himself described their love as a “you and me against the world” kind of story.

However, the relationship ended, and Robin later took full responsibility for the breakup. In a 2010 interview published by ABS-CBN News Online, he confessed,
“Adik ako nun. Hindi ko na-value ang ginagawa niya. Nung tapos na, saka ko na-value. Ako ang may diperensiya.”
(“I was an addict back then. I didn’t value what she was doing for me. It was only after we ended that I realized her worth. I was the one with the problem.”)

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5. Philip Salvador
Kris Aquino and Philip Salvador’s romance began while they were filming Nandito Ako in 1994.

Their relationship sparked controversy, particularly because Philip was still legally married to his estranged wife—a fact that deeply concerned Kris’s mother, former President Cory Aquino, a devout Catholic.

Despite this, Kris and Philip stayed together for five years before parting ways in 1999. Their relationship bore a son, Joshua Philip.

In her Private Conversations interview, Kris revealed how much her mother’s disapproval influenced their breakup:
“Kung natanggap lang talaga ng mommy ko si Philip, we’d stay together,” she said.
(“If only my mom had accepted Philip, we would have stayed together.”)

She added, “Malaking factor sa akin yun. As much as I have grown up, I am still a mama’s girl.”
(“That was a big factor for me. No matter how much I’ve grown up, I’m still a mama’s girl.”)

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6. Vic Sotto
In the November 2003 cover story of YES! magazine, it was reported that Kris Aquino admitted to dating Vic Sotto “a couple of times in the past,” specifically during the period after her relationship with Philip Salvador (nicknamed Ipe) and before she got involved with Joey Marquez.

Despite the brief romance, Kris clarified that her relationship with the Eat Bulaga! host did not develop into anything serious.

The first time Kris publicly hinted at her past with Vic was during a live interview on TV Patrol in September 2003, where she discussed her breakup with Joey Marquez.

Kris revealed that Joey had accused her of frequently communicating with Vic via phone. However, she claimed that this was simply Joey’s strategy to make her feel guilty, even though he was the one at fault in their relationship.

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7. Joey Marquez
Kris Aquino had an extramarital affair with then-Parañaque City Mayor Joey Marquez that lasted for “one year and seven months.”

According to YES! Magazine’s November 2003 cover story, their relationship began shortly after Kris interviewed Joey at the Manila Hotel for a March 2002 episode of The Buzz. Ironically, the topic of the interview was Joey’s separation from his wife of 12 years, actress-politician Alma Moreno.

The first major controversy involving the couple happened when Kris and Alma unexpectedly encountered each other at the Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa, where Joey was confined for hypertension. The awkward run-in triggered a cooling-off period for Kris and Joey, but they eventually reconciled.

Then came the explosive public fallout.

On September 24, 2003, Kris went live on TV Patrol and accused Joey of threatening her life. She revealed details of a violent altercation that allegedly took place in their shared condo unit in Taguig. More shockingly, Kris confessed during the same interview that she allegedly contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) from Joey.

Joey denied all accusations and maintained that he had nothing to apologize for. Their very public war of words escalated until Joey appeared live on Frontpage on GMA Network on October 2, 2003, where he finally offered a public apology to Kris.

Prior to this, Kris had already withdrawn the four legal complaints she filed against him. The two eventually had a closed-door meeting to finalize the settlement and bring closure to their highly publicized and tumultuous relationship.

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8. James Yap
Kris Aquino and basketball star James Yap first met on February 6, 2005, at a restaurant in Greenhills, San Juan.

In YES! Magazine’s 2011 cover story, James revealed that he had a crush on Kris back in high school and asked his talent manager, Dondon Monteverde, to arrange a meeting with her.

Just five months after their initial meeting, Kris and James tied the knot in a private ceremony on July 10, 2005. The wedding took place at the Quezon City residence of Kris’s best friend, Boy Abunda.

The couple had one child together: James Yap Jr., fondly known as Bimby.

However, their marriage was plagued by problems—most notably, rumors and accusations of infidelity.

On February 24, 2007, Hope Centeno, a former receptionist at the Belo Medical Clinic, appeared on GMA Network’s Startalk and claimed that she and James had an affair from March 2006 to January 2007.

James denied the allegations, saying that Hope was simply in charge of scheduling his facial treatments at the clinic.

At the time, Kris—then seven months pregnant—chose to stand by her husband.

But on June 27, 2010, Kris made a heartfelt announcement on The Buzz, declaring that her marriage with James was “over.”

What followed was a highly publicized legal battle involving the absence of a prenuptial agreement, the filing of an annulment, and an eventual settlement.

Their marriage was officially declared null and void by the court on January 9, 2012.

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9. HERBERT BAUTISTA
Kris Aquino and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista had a brief but highly publicized relationship that lasted for just “three months” in 2014.

Despite its brevity, their romance took a serious turn when Herbert proposed marriage to Kris “on the first Friday of April” that same year.

However, Kris would only reveal the details of that straightforward proposal a year later.

In a blog post she wrote in February 2015, Kris recounted:
“He said, walang romance, walang lokohan, walang bolahan. He asked if I’d be okay marrying him because he said he was already PAGOD (tired).”

But just one day after Kris announced their relationship during a live telecast of Aquino and Abunda Tonight, Herbert broke up with her—on April 8, 2014.

In a June 6, 2014 episode of Bandila, Mayor Herbert hinted at the reason behind the breakup: his children.

It had previously been reported that Herbert chose to end his relationship with Kris due to the disapproval of his kids.