Para maiba? Escudero’s Paraiba ring gift to Heart stirs controversy

When Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero gifted wife Heart Evangelista a Paraiba tourmaline ring for her 39th birthday last year, netizens gasped their collective breath not only because of the enormity of the ring but more so because they learned in social media reports that the value of the ring is around $1 million or P57 million.

Now that Escudero disclosed that his 2024 Statements of Assets and Liabilities (SALNs) is worth over P18.8 million, netizens raised their collective eyebrows to stratospheric proportions anew.

Netizens were asking how Escudero was able to purchase a Paraiba tourmaline ring that’s almost three times higher than his declared net worth.

When we researched about the Paraiba ring, we found out that its prices range from $2,000 to $50,000 per carat.

Interestingly, a jewelry expert, Kei Chan, in a post online, claimed that the Paraiba ring Evangelista wore was just a little over one million pesos, arguing that the fashion icon’s social image precedes her, thus, the price of her ring was jacked up.

Anyhow, Escudero’s bashers still believe to this day that Evangelista’s Paraiba tourmaline ring is really worth tens of millions.

To best show that it is not really what it is believed to be its worth, maybe the good senator should show proof or resibo that his gift to his wife does not reach such a staggering price.

Only if he does this will bashers or doubting Thomases realize that what they have are only assumptions.

Why Dustin Yu is grateful to Regal Entertainment

Anyone can easily understand why Dustin Yu is so grateful to Regal Entertainment, particularly its chief executive officer (CEO) Roselle Monteverde.

“Before Pinoy Big Brother, Ms. Roselle (Monteverde) was already there, giving me plans. ‘This is what will happen. These are your projects.’ Even though I don’t have a name yet, I was given assignments. I was given support by Regal Ebtertainment,” Yu said in Filipino during his solo mediacon for the Metro Manila Film Festival entry Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins where he, alongside Richard Gutierrez and Ivana Alawi, were featured in the third episode.

In his three years in the business, Monteverde’s  film company had given Yu projects no one can sneer at — Mano Po and Regal Studio Presents. He also appeared in an SRR episode two years ago.

So, what was his experience like doing the latest edition of SRR?

“Last time I did Shake, Rattle & Roll, it was great. I had a great experience. This time, it has become more collaborative. We all studied our scenes.  In a way, I was able to get myself in the movie.  It has more pressure and you will see us really doing our best,” he said.