MANILA — A month after the audio scandal that brought to light alleged threats she made against Nicko Falcis, Kris Aquino believes that her reputation remains unharmed, as she vowed anew to seek justice against her former business partner whom she has accused of theft.

Aquino, who turned 48 on February 14, released the latest “Unscripted with Kris” webisode to mark the occasion. She was interviewed by Ogie Diaz and Dindo Balares, who opened a range of topics, from the current state of her health, a pending vacation, to her legal spat with Falcis.

Asked what lesson she learned from her tumultuous 2018 — which saw the unfolding of her feud with Falcis, as well as her autoimmune disease being diagnosed — Aquino said, “The wisdom of silence.”

“Bakit ko papatulan ‘yung mga kasinungalingan na ako mismo… Naging buhay ko ‘yun, eh. I lived it. So why do I have to explain my life to people who have already pre-judged me? Why will I say a story na ‘yung sa kanila based on fiction, akin, based on facts? Ganu’n ka-simple ‘yun.

“I have complete trust in my laywers, because there are certain things talaga na hindi nadadaan sa magandang usapan, dahil ‘yung kausap mo are living in a different planet. Madaling mag-concoct ng version nila, pero bakit ko papatulan ‘yung version na ‘yun when it will steal my peace? So I chose silence because I’ve finally grown up,” she explained.

Aquino then brought up the leaked audio recording of her phone conversation with Falcis, which prompted her to apologize through a Facebook live video in mid-January.

“The last conversation was September 27, that last illegally recorded conversation occurred. Magmula noong panahon na ‘yun, siguro nag-ipon siya ng kuwento niya at mga paninirang gagawin sa akin… I’m still here, it didn’t work!” she said.

Aquino has accused Falcis of theft amounting to P1.27 million, allegedly as he made personal purchases using a credit card she had entrusted him for transactions involving the actress’ production company.

Falcis denied this, saying the credit card was only used for business expenses which Aquino was supposedly well aware of. He has said Aquino’s charges against him were her “vindictive” means of crippling him after he expressed wanting to leave her company, and refused to sign a quit claim and non-disclosure agreement.

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In interviews in January, Falcis also gave a detailed account of Aquino’s temperament as a superior who, he said, would refer to herself as “the queen.”

Aquino, in her birthday webisode, had a ready answer when asked whether she is still open to “forgiving” Falcis, as well as his brother, lawyer Jesus Falcis.

“Hindi na, dahil sobrang kawalang hiyaan na ang pinagdaanan ko… Utang na loob, hindi! Milyon-milyon na ang nagastos ko sa laywers ko. There’s no remorse and there’s nothing but hatred being thrown my way. There has been zero gratitude when I earned millions for him.

“Niloko na ako, dinaya na ako, pinapamukha pang ako ang pinakawalang-hiyang tao sa mundo. Bakit ko patatawarin? E ‘di ang buong Pilipinas, sasabihin naman — ang pinaka tangang tao sa Pilipinas si Kris Aquino. No.

“I can forget. He can cease to exist in my life. But to forgive? I’m not a saint. I can ignore. That’s the wisest thing I can do. I can ignore the stupidity,” she said.

Aquino has also repeatedly blamed Falcis for her deteriorating health, saying that the stress he had caused her triggered her autoimmune disease.

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This is my story. My urticaria flares started in 2013, but i thought they were allergic reactions & called them hives. They’ve steadily worsened to about 2 bad episodes a month lasting at least 4 to 7 days. I have no food allergies except crab & lobster (based on my 🇸🇬 full allergy test)... What happens when you suffer from an autoimmune disease? I researched in healthline.com so i could easily explain it since i have so many doctors who are now friends that i unknowingly use medical terms. The immune system mistakes part of your body — like your joints or skin — as foreign. It releases proteins called autoantibodies that attack healthy cells. Women get autoimmune diseases at a rate of about 2 to 1 compared to men — 6.4 percent of women vs. 2.7 percent of men. Often the disease starts during a woman’s childbearing years (ages 14 to 44). My Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria afflicts less than 1% of the world’s population. Most suffer through it for 1-5 years. Some suffer through it for decades- i fall under that category... i found my doctor here, Dr. Geraldine Zamora through @trishaduncan who had done an @everbilenaofficial @krislifekit webisode w/ me. She introduced me to the head of their Asean Doctors group. He is an allergy, rhueumatoid, and immunology specialist. He’s the 1 we flew to Singapore to consult... Dr. Geraldine has been so patient answering all my concerns & helping explain my diagnosis... i believe everything happens as part of God’s plan for our lives. i have the platforms to raise awareness about this medical challenge... Stress we cannot avoid, but it is a big factor. A healthier food plan with vegetables (except alfalfa sprouts), fruits, fiber rich food, oatmeal, lean cuts of beef (for iron & vitamin D which are depleted), beans (thank God i like garbanzos), and fatty fish are all helpful. And very importantly, she advised to be in bed by 9:30 PM & sleeping soundly at 11 PM. Sorry i’m going over my prescribed bedtime, but i edited this video myself. Thank you to all who messaged me w/ love & prayers... Good night. Yes, i’m starting to SMILE from my heart again.🌈❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

A post shared by Kris Aquino (@krisaquino) on Oct 11, 2018 at 7:45am PDT

On the topic of the state of her health, Aquino said: “I was told by my legal team to not discuss it, only because we have ongoing court cases. Sinabihan ako na iregalo ko raw sa sarili ko ‘yung privacy of that.

“Sa lahat ng mga paninirang puri na ginawa nila sa akin, pangsasampal ko na lang lahat ng medical records verified from Singapore in October and January. The truth is always the best revenge.”