Controversial businessman Atong Ang finally broke his silence regarding his involvement with members of the Barretto family, namely celebrity sisters Gretchen, Marjorie, Claudine and their niece Nicole.
Atong Ang
Nicole is the daughter of Jay-Jay Barretto, the actresses’ brother.
In a statement sent to ABS-CBN news anchor Henry Omaga Diaz on Sunday, Ang clarified various statements on social media posts by the Barretto women that he was Nicole’s boyfriend for a time. It was Nicole herself who had detailed in the comments section of social media personality @bashing.shing that her aunt Gretchen stole the businessman from her.
Ang revealed in a text message that Nicole and her mother used to work for him. Gretchen, he said, was a business partner along with her long-time partner Antonio “Tony Boy” Cojuangco; while he merely helped Claudine with her personal issues once in the past.
“Tungkol kay Nicole, mga four to 11 years ago ay nagkakasama kami ng mommy niya. Kung ano man ang relationship namin, walang kinalaman si Gretchen,” he began.
“Si Gretchen kasosyo ko sa casino at saka sabong. Si Tonyboy Cojuangco, kasama ko rin sa casino. May junket ako sa mga casino, si Tony kasosyo ko sa Okada. Kung nagkahiwalay kami nila Nicole walang kinalaman si Gretchen. Ang relasyon namin ni Nicole, parang taga-asikaso ng mga flights ko and schedule ko noon,” Ang explained.
“Iyong relasyon kay Claudine, ako ang nag-ayos nang nagkaproblema sila ng anak ni Mayor Martin Castro — ‘yun lang ang naging relasyon namin. Si Nicole, pinag-aral ko ‘yan, ang nagtrabaho sa akin ‘yung nanay niya. Si Gretchen malapit siya sa asawa ko,” he ended.
Nicole’s story
While Ang maintained that Nicole and her mother had only worked for him, the Barretto niece saw more to her relationship with the businessman.
In the comments section on the Instagram page @bashing.shing, Nicole denied that she was a “problem child” who was sent to the United States to end her relationship with an older man.
“I just want to inform you that I wasn’t thrown to the States. I was there to move on from what Gretchen and Atong did to me. I’m stating the fact that my own aunt stole my boyfriend. The next travels to the States [were] for my education. Since I do have an education and finished a doctorate. Just so you know Thank you po,” she said.
She also denied that she was the one who attacked Gretchen at the now-infamous catfight at the Barretto patriarch’s wake on October 16.
“She (Gretchen) kicked me countless of times and even after I got away and was about to exit the chapel, she sprinted to me and pulled my hair so hard I almost fell to the floor. If somebody did not catch me, my skull would’ve been broken,” Nicole countered.
“Plenty of people witnessed it. I had my arms in the air to show I wasn’t doing anything to her. It’s just unfair that they control the media and twist the facts. I do not regret protecting my Tita Marj[orie]. If I intended to hurt ‘Tita’ Gretchen, I could’ve threw (sic) a punch. But I did not. I simply carried her,” she said.
Gretchen on the go
Never known to back off from any fight, Gretchen answered Nicole’s statements point by point on her Instagram Stories.
On the alleged “boyfriend-stealing,” she posted screengrabs of Nicole’s statements, “Oh I’m sorry. I was told Nicole stole Atong from her aunt Claudine.”
Gretchen went on to say, “I was told by Atong nilako si Nicole sa akin ng nanay niya… You just gave birth and have a boyfriend and yet, hinahabol mo ang cliente (sic) mong si Atong.”
On the blows Nicole allegedly took from her at the wake, Gretchen said, “You want[ed] to hurt me, not protect Marjorie. Don’t fool yourself. This is between you and your demons. Keep me out of your pathetic state. Move on. Nagwawala ka sa lalaking ‘di ka niligawan. Atong will make his statements. He can speak for himself. Atong is happily married, too.”
As of press time, neither Gretchen nor any of the Barretto women reacted to Ang’s statement. The latest Instagram post from Gretchen showed her visiting her daughter in San Francisco.
Posting a video from what seemed to be her daughter’s garage where a huge and furry dog jumped to greet her, Gretchen wrote, “Just what I need, a whole lot of love. My little one @dominique asked me to fly to San Francisco for her to feed me, she says she won’t let me go home until I gain back some weight. Role reversal. My grandson Chapo [the dog’s name] got to me first. Chapo before my baby Dominique. Welcome to San Francisco.”
Last week, Marjorie said she would tell the truth about her sister and her “sister’s boyfriend,” emphasizing she didn’t mean Cojuangco. Gretchen claimed Marjorie had a nervous breakdown when she came to their father’s wake.
Marjorie had said she would tell all after their father is laid to rest. Miguel Barretto was cremated on Saturday.
WATCH ATONG ANG'S FULL INTERVIEW HERE:
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This article first appeared on The Manila Times.
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