Bernard Palanca to Meryll: ‘I’m cool to be your friend’

"When I first went there, kinarga ko siya. I couldn't stop crying. I couldn't stop sweating tapos nanginginig pa ako kasi he's my first boy," said Bernard Palanca about meeting his newborn son Elijah in an interview with The Buzz yesterday, September 2. Elijah, born on August 27, is Bernard's son with his estranged wife, actress Meryll Soriano. He smiled, "Now, I understand what all of my friends, who are parents na rin, now I understand that feeling that they were trying to explain to me na I could never understand. All I could think was, ‘Okay you are happy.' But the feeling of having a newborn or your first baby, you can't put the word to how it can make you feel, e, and how inspired it gets you to do so many other things." Bernard, or BJ as he is more popularly know in showbiz, shared his insights about fatherhood. "One hundred ten percent [change], I think. I mean ‘yong buong outlook ko on life itself has changed in such a big way noong lumabas siya." Though the estranged couple has a new addition in their lives, both agreed to remain separated. "Ang nangyari is when Elijah came out, it gave us the opportunity to talk to talk to each other again, which we did. I'm very happy kasi we're talking. Kung ano man ang differences namin sa past, which up to now, I have to say, hindi pa namin naayos, that can wait," revealed BJ. He added, "The truth is what happened between me and his mother happened. That's life, you know. But I'm pretty sure we are more than ready to raise this boy to be a really good boy... I promise to be the best father I can be to my son." Meryll already said in her previous interview that she is already complete and that there is no reason to renew her former relations with her husband. BJ stressed, "It's a mutual decision na I think na we're both sure na hindi na kasi magwo-work, e. We both believe na bakit mo pa pipilitin ang isang bagay na wala naman na." He asserted that everything is past between him and Meryll and that the love they once had for each other already disappeared. "It's sad pero I don't want to lie naman to everybody na, ‘Yeah, it's gonna happen.' But it never will, e. Hindi ako ganoon. So I can't answer, as of now, kung mangyayari ‘yon ulit." He gave this message to Meryll: "I'm cool to be your friend. We'll be friends in the future. In the long run, you'll never know what's going to happen." - Philippine Entertainment Portal