MANILA, Philippines – Despite personal problems surrounding estranged wife Mary Christine Jolly, Derek Ramsay said that he is keeping his chin up, and acknowledged people around him for their support. He also said that he just wants the best for his son. 

“I want a right to be a father. I want a right to see my son.

“I definitely want to shoulder his education because that, for me, is the best [way] to give back – to secure his future with best education.

“That’s what my parents did to me. They sent me to the best school that they can afford. I want him to have the best education…I want him to look at me like the way I looked at my father,” he told reporters after the press conference for The Amazing Race Philippines, Monday, September 22 at Genting Taps, Resorts World. Derek is hosting the show. 

Keeping positive 

“You just have to remain positive with your life. I am very blessed to have a successful career. A lot of people try to bring me down. But I love my craft, I love my job. I love the people that are always there to support me and carry me through these problems within my life,” the actor-host said during the press con.  

“If you could give me one person who does not have problems in their life, then I bow down, but that’s life. If life is just perfect I think it would be a boring life. In life you make a lot of mistakes. The important thing is you learn from them and with my craft, with my career, every project that is given to me, every project that is entrusted to me, I cherish and I learn to better myself.”

Ramsay was touched when his bosses in the show as well as TV 5 commended him for a job well done at the press con. 

“It’s nice to hear something positive. Kayo kasi bakit pa? (You guys, why?) Ang daming hearsay, ang daming (there are a lot) below the belt comments. Nakakasakit (It’s painful), but you know like I said, you have to move on, this is just a bump on the road, and its nice to hear every now and then a positive comment from people that have been there since the beginning.” 

On Mary Christine 

After the press conference, Ramsay took the opportunity to speak to reporters about his legal case with estranged wife Mary Christine Jolly. (READ: Derek Ramsay confirms 2002 marriage)

Jolly filed a case against him for allegedly violating Republic Act 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004. She hit back at him for “reversing the story.”

In her reply-affidavit in her complaint against Ramsay for violation of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, Jolly previously debunked the actor’s allegations that she was taking illegal drugs. 

“I was just a young 21-year-old student at that time going out with friends on clean night-outs. On the other hand, Derek, this older 25-year old aspiring model, was in fact the one who introduced me to drugs during the relationship by forcing me to take Ecstasy whenever he would want to have sex,” she said.

Painful words 

Additionally, Ramsay said that he did not initially believe that his son wrote the letter that came out in the media, where his son wrote hurtful words against him.

“I asked my son if siya nagsulat (he wrote it) and if he meant it. And when he said yes, I kept my mouth shut for the rest of the meeting, and said ‘ano pa ba ang magagawa natin para maayos ito?’ (what can we do to fix this?)” he said. 

He also said he could not understand why his estranged wife dragged his past girlfriends into the issue.

“Why is she doing that, what’s reason?  I have given to her demands. I think its time for me to fight.”

However, he would rather not talk ill of his estranged wife, saying that despite their issues, she is still the mother of their son.

He later said, “I have to be strong. Its not just from me but from God friends and family. Fans coming up to me, sending their prayers. I pray to him all time to give me peace, that everything is going to be find one day.” – Rappler.com