MANILA, Philippines – When Zanjoe Marudo confirmed to Boy Abunda on Wednesday, December 20 that he and long-time girlfriend Bea Alonzo had broken up, he didn’t reveal a lot of details, and the host didn’t push any further. Zanjoe seemed emotional on the show, and it appeared that the breakup was still a sensitive topic.

So on Friday, January 22, when Zanjoe had his first press conference since the confirmation, everyone was curious. (READ: Zanjoe Marudo confirms breakup with Bea Alonzo)

At the conference, held for his upcoming series, Tubig at Langis (Water and Oil), reporters were only allowed to ask questions about the show. Reporters also knew that there was little chance that the actor would stay afterwards for more interviews.

Still, Zanjoe willingly answered many questions about love – in the drama Tubig at Langis, Zanjoe plays Natoy, who marries single mom Irene (Cristine Reyes), and then cheats on her with Clara (Isabelle Daza).

For one of the earlier questions, Zanjoe joked around. When asked whether love was like water or oil, he said water “kasi dapat ang love, pure. Diba may (Love should be pure. Right, there’s) purified water?”

After many minutes though, a reporter asked: “In real life, will you go against all odds and defy the forces of nature to get the one you love?”

Zanjoe was the first to answer. “Oo naman. Kailangan mong gawin lahat ‘pag pagmamahal talaga, ‘pag love talaga, wala namang question doon diba? Kailangan mong harapin, kailangan mong patunayan, kung totoong pag-ibig yun. Yes.”

(Yes, of course. You have to do everything if it’s true love, if it’s really love, there’s no question about it, right? You need to face it, you have to prove it, if it’s truly love. Yes.)

“Ayoko na mag-follow-up,” said the reporter, quickly breaking the tension that followed. Everyone laughed, and the other stars answered as well.

Soon, Zanjoe was asked whether he and his character on the show love the same way. “Oo, pag nagmahal si Natoy, parang si Zanjoe din. Yun lang (Yes, when Natoy loves, it’s the same way Zanjoe loves. That’s it),” he said.

When pressed further, he added, “‘Pag sinabi niyang mahal niya, gagawin niya ang lahat para sa mahal niya and yun lang talaga. Di siya matutukso o di siya mai-in love sa ibang tao.”

(When he says he loves someone, he’ll do everything for the person he loves and that’s it. He won’t be tempted or he won’t fall in love with anyone else.)

Eventually, someone managed to sneak in a question referring to the breakup. The reporter mentioned his interview with Boy Abunda, recalling that Zanjoe also said that he believes in second chances.

“Sabi mo you believe in second chances, so may possibility ba, kahit yun lang, for a second chance?” (You said that you belive in second chances, so is there a possibility, even just that, for a second chance?)

There was a pause before Zanjoe answered: “Naniniwala ako sa second chance, sa 3rd chance, sa 4th chance. Lahat naman ng tao kailangan ng chance diba? Kailangan ng pangalawa o kahit pang-ilang pagkakataon.”

(I believe in second chances, in 3rd chances, in 4th chances. Everyone needs a chance right? They need a second or however many chances.)

Later on, the stars of the show were asked to compare love to water and oil again – if your career and your love life were water and oil, which would be which?

For Zanjoe, it was his career. “Kung mangingibabaw yung langis, siguro yung career ko yung langis. Para maprotektahan lahat ng love ko sa ilalim… kino-compare ko yung langis sa career diba, siya yung ibabaw eh, so lahat ng mahal ko sa buhay, maproprotektahan ko dahil may maganda aking career.”

(If oil is the one that floats to the top, then I guess my career is oil. So that I can protect the ones I love underneath… I’m comparing oil to career right, and it’s the one that floats to the top, so everyone in my life that I love will be protected because I have a good career.)

After the press conference, co-stars Isabelle Daza and Cristine Reyes both said that they don’t talk about each other’s personal lives on set, so they don’t know much about Zanjoe’s breakup.

“Well okay naman si Z, kilala ko siya noon pa, so bago siya nag-artista, magkakilala na kami, we hang out,” said Belle. “So matagal ko na siya friend. Pero on the set he’s very professional at hindi ko naman tinatanong or anything. Wala nga akong alam, actually.”

(Well, Z is okay, I’ve known him since before, before he became an actor, we already knew each other, we hang out. So he’s been my friend for a long time. But on set, he’s very professional and I don’t ask or anything. I don’t know anything, actually.)

“Kapag ako, trabaho, trabaho, and kung ano man yung personal natin, leave it (For me, work is work, and anything personal, leave it),” said Cristine in a separate interview from Belle’s.

Later, she was also asked how she was as a friend to Zanjoe during his breakup. “How am I as a friend? I guess walang kwentang (a worthless) friend because busy ako sa life ko ngayon (I’m busy with my life right now),” said Cristine, who had a baby in February 2015 and is getting married on January 26.

“So ayon, dun lang ako as a partner sa kanya sa show. I mean… wala kaming pinag-uusapang anything about it because happy lang kami sa set and as much as possible focused kami sa trabaho.”

(So there, I’m just there as his partner on the show. I mean… we don’t talk about anything about it because we’re just happy on set and as much as possible, we focus on work.)

Zanjoe and Bea dated for more than 4 years before their split. On his interview with Boy, Zanjoe said on how he’s coping: “Wala namang madaling way eh. So kailangan talaga pagdaanan (There’s no easy way. So I just really have go through it).”

Meanwhile, his new series, Tubig at Langis, is set to air on February 1. – Rappler.com