Benjamin Alves shrugs off malicious rumor about him and Enzo Pineda

Ginu-groom na sana ng GMA-7 ang loveteam nina Benjamin Alves at Max Collins, na inumpisahan sa primetime series na Coffee Prince. Pero kamakailan lang ay ipinalit si Max kay Kylie Padilla bilang kapareha ni Dingdong Dantes sa Pahiram Ng Sandali, na papalit sa Coffee Prince simula sa November 26. Sa panayam ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) kay Benjamin sa opisina ng Mercator Model & Artist Management sa Makati City, noong Martes, November 13, tinanong namin siya tungkol dito. “Oo nga, e. Yeah!... Great, great!" bulalas niya. Masaya raw si Benjamin para kay Max kahit mangangahulugan ito ng maagang pagkabuwag ng loveteam nila. “Yeah, of course, why not? “She told me yesterday, she found out yesterday… last night. “And before she left, sabi ko, ‘Saan ka galing?’ “’Coz she was gone for maybe an hour, and then she told me the good news. “It’s good news! It’s good to know that everyone has work after [Coffee Prince], so I’m happy," pahayag niya. Ayon pa kay Benjamin, sa Lunes, November 19, ang last taping day na ng Coffee Prince, na pinagbibidahan nina Kris Bernal at Aljur Abrenica. “I’m happy for her," ulit niya tungkol kay Max. Hindi ba siya nasaktan? “Of course not. No, of course not. “I think it’s good for all of us to be able to work with other people. “When we started the show, me and Max promised each other to give it, you know, to give it all our best—our hundred percent… “But not thinking na we would be paired off again, 'coz, you know… “I mean, in our work, maganda naman po talaga yung makakatrabaho mo lahat ng leading ladies in GMA. “I’m excited to work with all of them. “I’ve been able to work with Lovi Poe, I’m working with Max now, and I get to work with Kris. “So the roster ng leading ladies sa GMA, there’s a lot, and there’s a lot of talented ones, so I’m looking forward to the next. “I’m looking forward to work with Max again in the future… “But I’m looking forward in the immediate future after this show to work with whoever GMA chooses for me. “With me, I’m excited to find out who’s next, who’s gonna be my next partner. Same thing for Max, e. "I think she’s a good actress. She can be paired off with anyone, so I’m excited to watch that show—her and Dingdong. “I mean, I know Kuya Dong, he’s a really, really good actor. "And I know Max personally, she’s a really good actress so…" MAX AND BENJAMIN. Wala ba siyang kahit konting wishful thinking na sana ay sila ni Max ang susunod na loveteam na ilu-launch sa susunod na project ng GMA-7? “A, well… no, no, no, no. 'Coz I think what I was hoping for is for the both of us to catapult into something big, which was what she got. “'Coz after the show, that’s what she’s gotten from this. “So I’m happy for her. "No hurt feelings or whatever. That’s not me, e, that’s not in my nature. “It shouldn’t be in anyone’s nature in this business, especially for a leading lady or your partner. “We’re never gonna have the same job." MALICIOUS GOSSIP. Hiningan din ng PEP ng reaksiyon si Benjamin tungkol sa isang malisyosong balitang kumalat kamakailan. Nagsimula sa blind item, kalaunan ay pinangalanan din ang mga artistang involved. Diumano, may nakakita kay Enzo Pineda na inaamoy ang underwear ni Benjamin sa dressing room ng Party Pilipinas. Saan at paano ba nagsimula ang isyung ito? Tumawa muna si Benjamin bago sumagot. “I have no idea! I heard about this tsismis noong nasa Cebu kami this last Friday [November 9], from the people from Cebu… yung mga writers from Cebu. "They asked me about it. “Sabi ko, ‘A, talaga?’" Ang tsismis bang nakarating sa kanya ay inaamoy nga diumano ni Enzo ang underwear niya? “It’s something like that... I don’t know, I don’t know. “The last I heard is, [it happened] in an event, and now it’s [in] Party Pilipinas. "Either case, it’ll be... it’s not true." Patuloy niya, “It’s funny because it’s, like, I know Enzo—and Enzo’s like my brother and I feel bad for the guy. “He’s such a good-natured person, and alam mo yun? “It’s like… I’m older than him so it’s like my little brother getting these things and I feel bad—he doesn’t deserve it." GENDER ISSUE. Aware ba si Benjamin na may isyu dati kay Enzo na kinukuwestiyon ang gender nito? Tugon niya, “No, I don’t. "Well, the thing is, I think everyone gets gossips thrown at them once in a while. “It only shows how popular he is and how well received he is, so there’s an exchange with that." Hindi raw nila iyon pinag-usapan ni Enzo. “No! I heard about it last Friday, I saw him sa Party P, nothing. “Wala, hindi naman po kami ganun, e. "Kasi sa amin po, wala naman pong isyu, e. “Wala naman pong isyu yung mga ganung blind items… it’s part of the job." Nangyari raw ang insidente sa dressing room ng Party Pilipinas. Magkasama ba sila doon? Sabi ni Benjamin, “They go to our dressing room to get their make-up done but it’s... One, it’s not true! “And two, it’s just impossible for someone to pick up someone’s underwear. It’s really crowded. “Sa prod [production] naman po, ang requirement sa amin, usually, damit lang, hindi naman po magdala ng extra underwear. “But anywhere, any case, whatever scenario they would put, whatever environment… “Sabihin mo may one hundred underwears there, it wouldn’t matter because it’s not true—Enzo would never do that." -- Rommel Gonzales, PEP