Bela Padilla may not be putting a label on her relationship with businessman Martin Tan just yet, but his latest public appearance is giving fans another reason to follow their story.
Tan turned up at the September 7 premiere of Life After You, Padilla’s new film with Maricel Soriano, where entertainment reporters spotted him outside the cinema carrying a bouquet of flowers.
His presence came just weeks after Padilla addressed speculation about the two and made clear that they had not officially become a couple.
“Hindi pa jowa e, parang getting to know pa lang,” Padilla said in August when asked about Tan.
The clarification followed a series of sightings that had already prompted questions about whether the actress was dating again.
Padilla and Tan had been photographed together at public events earlier this year. In August, the actress also acknowledged a social media post celebrating her possible new romance, responding: “Your caption is so sweet!! Thank you.”
Still, Padilla has so far avoided publicly defining Tan as her boyfriend.
That remained the case at the Life After You premiere.
When Padilla was asked who her date was for the evening, she playfully pointed not to Tan but to her veteran co-star.
“Meron! Si Inay Marya [Maricel] ang date ko tonight. Kaya, magkatabi kami later,” Padilla said.
Soriano joined in the exchange, indicating that Padilla would tell her when she eventually had a boyfriend and joking about having a say in approving him.
Tan, meanwhile, did not need to make a public declaration to attract attention. Simply showing up with flowers was enough to put the spotlight back on the pair.
Padilla, Soriano Team Up in ‘Life After You’
The premiere also marked one of the final promotional events ahead of the theatrical release of Life After You on September 9.
Directed by Marla Ancheta, the Viva Films family drama brings Padilla and Soriano together in a story about two women whose different approaches to raising a child create tension despite their shared concern for her.
Child actress Dani Zee joins Padilla and Soriano in the film, alongside Gardo Versoza, Jeric Raval and other cast members.
Padilla has also described working with Soriano as personally meaningful. She previously shared that watching the veteran actress work helped remind her of her own love for acting during a period of self-doubt.
For Padilla, the premiere was ultimately about introducing their film to audiences.
For fans keeping tabs on her love life, however, Tan’s quiet appearance provided a separate storyline.
Whether that story eventually comes with an official label remains up to Padilla and Tan.
For now, Padilla’s last public description remains the clearest one available: they are still getting to know each other.