After almost two years of not hearing from each other, Aiko Melendez has finally patched things up with her longtime best friend Candy Pangilinan.
During Candy’s guest appearance on Aiko’s latest vlog, they looked back and reflected on the falling out they had due to undisclosed reasons.
Candy admitted that she was clueless about how their conflict began, but she admitted that she suspected a person who might have caused it. However, the person's identity was not disclosed.
“’Yung totoo, hindi ko talaga alam, honestly hindi ko alam,” she told Aiko. “Ang tagal kong inisip, in-analyze, iniisip kong mabuti. May naisip akong tao, ‘yung taong ‘yun, hanggang ngayon hindi ko kinakausap dahil feeling ko siya ang [gumawa] ng kwento dahil siya usually ang nagiging cause ng maraming [issues], so sabi ko ‘baka siya.’”
Aiko, on the other hand, explained her side of the story.
“Kaya ako naniwala kasi meron siyang sinabi na isang date na walang nakakaalam ‘nun kundi tayong dalawa lang,” she said.
According to Candy, she attempted to reach out, but she failed to get the answers she needed.
“I had no idea at all,” she said. “So, I was trying to reach out. Hindi ko talaga alam, wala akong idea. ‘Nung up to the end, wala silang sinabi sa akin, doon lang ako [sinabi na] ‘ah okay.’ So, hinayaan ko nalang.”
Aiko took a different approach in dealing with their conflict. She kept distance from Candy, even on social media.
“Naalala mo ‘nung blinock kita sa IG [Instagram]. Tinanong sa akin ni Carmina, sabi niya ‘hinahanap ka ni Candy, hindi ka [raw] niya makita.’ Sabi ko ‘oo, blinock ko siya.’ Kasi ayaw (pa) kita makita ‘nun,” Aiko said.
Candy admitted that she was hurt: “Actually, ang mas kinasama ng loob ko noon (ay) 'yung naniwala ka doon kesa sa akin. Doon sumama ang loob ko na parang ‘hindi ba niya ako kilala?’”
Meanwhile, Aiko apologized for the silent treatment her best friend received and explained why she resorted to that action.
“Sorry na hindi kita kinausap kaagad, kasi kilala ko ang sarili ko bes, eh. Siguro 'yun 'yung isang bagay na binago ko along the way. Hindi na ako ‘yung confrontational,” she said.
“Ayoko nang makasabi ng mga bagay na... hindi mo na pwedeng ibalik. So ayokong pagsisihan na may sabihin akong mga salita sa’yo tapos nabitawan ko, hindi ko na mabawi. And hindi ko kayang sabihin ‘yun sa taong mahal ko,” she explained.
Aiko admitted that during those years, she missed her best friend’s presence, adding that she would check on her through social media.
“There were times — aaminin ko ‘to [for the] first time — na-mi-miss kita. So i-u-unblock kita, tinitingnan ko lang, lalo na si Q [Quentin, Candy's son]. Tapos nanonood ako sa YouTube channel mo. Sabi ko, ‘ay buti naman maayos ‘yung buhay niya.’”
In 2024, Aiko addressed the concerns raised by netizens who were speculating about their fallout due to her exclusion from the movie Roadtrip, which was starred in by Candy and their other friends Carmina Villaroel and sisters Gelli and Janice de Belen.
READ: Aiko Melendez clears up past issue with Candy Pangilinan: ‘We just needed time’
In her vlog, Aiko shared what she truly felt when the movie came out.
“Sa totoo lang, in a limbo ako ‘nun bes,” she recalled. “Kasi noong kino-conceptualize natin ‘yung pelikulang ‘yun, dapat kasama ako diba? Noong dini-discuss na ‘yung pelikulang ‘yun, dapat kasama ako. So sabi ko, ‘ang saya ko para sa best friend ko kasi natupad na niya ang pangarap ko na magsulat ng script.’ Do you know na ako ‘yung happiest ‘nun?”
Candy, who wrote the movie’s script, made a promise to Aiko: “Huwag kang mag-alala, gagawa pa tayo. Kinausap naman kita, tinanong kita ‘di ba? Susulat ako ulit , susulat ako ulit. Huwag kang mag-alala, dito sigurado kasama ka.”
At the end of the vlog, they both agreed and promised to stay in each other's lives.
“Siguro itong hindi natin napagkaintindihan is just one for the books,” Aiko said. “And siguro it will make our friendship stronger, better. And always remember, ito mapapangako ko sayo, bes... hinding-hindi na ako mawawala kasi every step of the way nandito na ako.”
Aiko and Candy’s friendship traces back to their college days at the University of the Philippines, as they revealed on the vlog.