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Actress speaks favorably of Padilla but declines to predict whether the two will remain together.
MANILA — Actress Janice de Belen has reiterated that her daughter Kaila Estrada’s happiness matters more than predictions about her romantic future, speaking favorably of actor Daniel Padilla while declining to say whether the two will ultimately remain together.
In an interview with entertainment host Ogie Diaz posted on YouTube on October 11, de Belen was asked whether she believed Estrada and Padilla would eventually end up together.
“Mahirap magsalita,” she replied, explaining that her own experiences had taught her that relationships do not always unfold as expected.
De Belen described Padilla as someone who “seems to be a good kid” and said she had nothing negative to say about him. Although she occasionally sees the actor at special gatherings, she emphasized that decisions about a relationship belong to those directly involved.
The veteran actress said she trusted Kaila to make her own decisions, including recognizing when a relationship was no longer making her happy. She also observed that younger generations appeared less willing than their parents to remain in relationships that were not working.
Her remarks followed earlier statements about respecting her adult children’s independence. During an April interview with Julius Babao, she advised Kaila to “guard your heart.” In a May appearance on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” she said her priority as a parent was seeing her daughter happy rather than interfering in her personal choices.
Other family members have expressed similar sentiments. In September, de Belen’s sister, actress Gelli de Belen, said she hoped Estrada and Padilla would remain happy and bring out the best in each other.
Estrada and Padilla worked together in the 2025 ABS-CBN action-drama series “Incognito.” Their public appearances have since attracted attention, including Estrada’s attendance at Padilla’s birthday celebration in April, a photograph shared by Padilla in May and pictures from a group trip to Japan posted by Estrada in August.
Although their appearances and family members’ comments have prompted widespread reports of a romance, GMA News reported in September that neither actor had explicitly confirmed the relationship.
