'PBB Celebrity Collab 2.0': Ashley Sarmiento clarifies feelings for Rave Victoria, says John Clifford is more deserving than Joaquin Arce

Ashley Sarmiento addressed questions about her feelings and loyalties, clarifying her admiration for Rave Victoria, and making a decisive choice when asked who among them was least deserving of a spot in the competition.

On Monday’s episode of “Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0,” the Ultimate Tapatan officially kicked off, where ex-housemates prepared questions for the Ultimate 8 and judged each answer as either Truth or Lie.

Hosted by Bianca Gonzalez and Luis Manzano, the segment put Ashley first in the hot seat.

Below is the Q&A with Ashley edited for length and clarity.

Q: Ano ang specific instance na ipinakita mo ang iyong paninindigang mantra?

Ang naisip ko pong instance right now, is ‘yung time po na tinanong po kami ni Kuya na kailangan po namin magbigay ng tao pong kulang pa po sa pagpapakatotoo at nanindigan po kaming lahat.

Sa sarili ko, sa desisyon ko po, na wala po kaming isasagot for the sake of the task lang po. Dahil naniniwala po talaga kami na sa tagal-tagal na po namin sa stay po namin dito, wala na pong nagkulang po sa pagpapakatotoo. Kahit po ang magiging kahulugan no’n ay matatalo po kami sa weekly task.

[What I can think of right now was that instance when Kuya asked us to name a housemate who was not being true to themselves. I couldn't just answer for the sake of accomplishing the task. Because we really believe that in the amount of time we've spent inside the house, none of us could be pretending anymore. So that's why we didn't answer anymore, even if it meant we will lose the weekly task.]

Q: Sa tingin mo ba medyo nag-play safe ka doon at hindi siya talaga paninindigan?

‘Yun nga po ‘yung sabi po namin — mas hindi po kami talaga nagpapakatotoo. Or ako rin po sa sarili ko, naisip ko rin po mas hindi po ako magpapakatotoo kung mag-iisip lang po ako ng specific po na tao para lang po magawa po ‘yung task po na ‘yon.

[That's exactly it — we wouldn't be true to ourselves anymore if we only tried to accomplish the task. Or me in myself, that's what I thought. I wouldn't be true to myself if I blurted out a name just to accomplish the task.] 

Jury’s votes: 10 ex-housemates raised the Truth banner, while Reich Alim and Eliza Borromeo raised the Lie banner

Q: Iniiwasan mo si Rave dati dahil sa pakiramdam mo na masyado kang focused sa kanya. Masasabi mo ba na ganyan pa rin ang nararamdaman mo towards Rave?

Totoo po na iniiwasan ko po dati si Rave dahil po sa tingin ko, ‘yung attention ko talaga, like ‘yung buong focus ko [was on him.] Nakalimutan ko na ‘yung totoong layunin ko po here inside the house.

[It's true that I was avoiding Rave because I really think my attention — all my focus was on him. I forgot my objective for entering the house and being here.]

Pero nung time naman na po na ‘yun, napag-usapan po namin. Hindi ko naman na po naramdaman na masyado na po akong naka-focus sa kanya. Nakatulong po talaga na nasabi ko po yun sa kanya.

[But when we talked about it, I didn't any more feel out of focus. It really helped that I was able to tell him that.]

Ako po siguro, nananatili pa rin po ‘yung pagka-admire ko po sa kanya bilang isang tao po. Magaling siya sa pagdating sa pagho-host, pagdating sa pag-arte, pagdating sa task. Pero siguro on a deeper level, parang sa tingin ko po — nung umalis po siya, marami po akong na-realize na OK lang po pala na kahit wala po siya sa tabi ko, and parang nanatili lang po ‘yung admiration pero hindi po lumalim po ‘yung likeness.

[I still admire him as a person. He's a good host, a good actor, with his tasks but on a deeper level, when he left the house, I realized it's OK if we're not always together. My admiration for him is still there but it didn't deepen anymore.]

Jury’s votes: 12 ex-housemates raised the Truth banner

Question from Reich: Sino sa Ultimate 8 ang tingin mong hindi nagpapakatotoo at kailangang palitan?

Wala talaga. Wala talaga, Reich, promise. At this point, lahat kami nagpapakatotoo. Kaya 'yun ‘yung naging debate namin nung last time na taas ni Kuya dahil lahat talaga kami, inisip namin, wala na talagang normal na tao na magsisinungaling po or hindi magpapakatotoo nung natira na lang kami. So, wala. Lahat kami super deserving sa spot namin.

None, promise Reich, none. At the point, we're all being true to ourselves. That's why that was debate the last time. We thought there isn't a normal person who would still be lying, or who would still be pretending at this point. I think all of us deserve our spot.]

Question from Reich: If you need to pick one, sino ang pinaka hindi deserving?

Pwede ba sumagot nang wala? Si [John] Clifford ‘yung papalit, si Joaquin [Arce] ang aalis. Siguro kasi maraming times sa task na naririnig ko na meron siyang mga strategies na hindi tama, kaya naisip ko na mas ipalit si Clifford, dahil laging nananaig 'yung kabutihan sa kanya pagdating sa kahit anong hamon na ibinibigay ni Kuya.

[Can I answer none? Maybe I will remove Joaquin Arce and replace him with John Clifford because I heard he implemented strategies I didn't think were right with a lot of tasks. I thought of John Clifford because he's always guided by what's right and what's good in what ever task Kuya would give.] 

Jury’s votes: 11 ex-housemates raised the Truth banner, while Reich raised the Lie banner

Question from Rave: Akala ko ba ako ‘yung Big Winner mo? Anyways Ash, sure ako kung bakit gusto kong maging malapit sa ‘yo at pakilala ka nang mas deep pa. Ikaw, sure ka pa ba at nagbago ba ‘yun dahil lumabas lang ako?

Ako, sure pa rin naman ako na syempre mas gusto pa rin kita makilala sa outside world, dahil ‘yun nga, sabi naman natin na hindi talaga natin makikilala nang lubusan ‘yung isa't-isa dito.

[I'm still sure that I want to get to know you in the outside world because as we said last time, we won't get to know each other well inside the house.]

Siguro madami lang akong na-realize sa sarili ko at sa atin nung lumabas ka.

[I think I learned a lot about myself when you left the house.]

Q: Pero ‘yung sinabi mo bago ako lumabas — ‘yun pa rin ba?

Sa ngayon hindi na. Hindi na. As a person, I still really, really admire you dahil maganda ‘yung puso mo and nakikita ko talaga kung paano mo binibigay ‘yung best mo sa lahat ng ginagawa mo here inside the house.

[Right now, not any more. As a person, I really admire you because you have a good heart and I saw how you gave your best inside the house.]

Pero sinasabi ko naman talaga sa kanila ‘pag tinatanong din nila ako kung ‘Hindi na ba? Hindi na ba?’ Sabi ko, ngayon, nasasabi ko hindi na dahil wala ka. Dahil hindi kita nakikita. Pero sabi ko paglabas, hindi ko pa rin talaga masasabi, so ‘yun lang. 

[But as I tell them when they ask me, right now it's no longer true because I don't see you anymore. Maybe in the outside world but I also can't say for sure.]

Jury’s votes: 12 ex-housemates raised the Truth banner

Ashley is one of the remaining housemates  dubbed the Ultimate 8 alongside Caprice Cayetano, Heath Jornales, Princess Aliyah, Lella Ford, Krystal Mejes, Miguel Vergara, and Joaquin Arce.

The "Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0" Big Night will be on February 28. — Carby Rose Basina/LA, GMA Integrated News