RUFFA GUTIERREZ said she would find closure to her relationship with estranged husband Yilmaz Bektas only if the court would finally grant her request for custody of their two minor children.

In May 2007, Ruffa and Turkish businessman Yilmaz announced their decision to file for annulment. She cited domestic violence as the reason for the end of their four-year marriage. No petition for annulment has yet been filed.

Ruffa, however, filed a petition for custody before the Quezon City regional trial court in May this year.

?Sadly, there?s still no word from the court. Hopefully, the case would be decided on in 2010,? she told Inquirer Entertainment last week. ?It?s really good for both Yilmaz and I to move on with our lives. I wish both of us would be happy.?

The 35-year-old actress said she hoped for Yilmaz to still maintain a good relationship with their daughters Lorin, 6, and Venice, 5. ?I also pray that as a father, he would be able to provide for his kids not only financially, but also emotionally and spiritually,? Ruffa added.

Ruffa said her daughters are now old enough to notice that their father is missing. ?Yes, especially during the last two months,? she said. ?I guess it?s because it?s Christmas time. They know that a family should be complete during this time of the year. But I hope I will be able to fill up the void.?

Ruffa is part of the cast of Don Michael Perez?s ?Ukay Ukay,? the second episode of the ?Shake, Rattle and Roll 11? trilogy. She and ex boyfriend Zoren Legazpi plays would-be couple Kayla and Harold whose wedding plans are deterred by a ?possessed? gown from ?ukay-ukay.?

How similar is your character Kayla to your real self?

Kayla and I are the same in the sense that when she makes a decision to do something, she really follows through with it. Like me, she is also the type who fights for the person she loves.

What?s the hardest part in portraying Kayla?

It?s really physically challenging. I had to learn how to use the harness. Emotionally, it was hard to portray Kayla when she?s being vengeful. There?s a scene when she has to fight a demon to protect her fiancé Harold. I?m really not vengeful in real life. I easily forgive those who have hurt me.

Have you ever been to or shopped at an ?ukay ukay??

Yes, I have. I shop in bazaars for vintage items. I?ve never bought clothes in bazaars. I like my clothes new. I go to bazaars to look for memorabilia. With the economy really down today, it?s practical to buy things at a lower price.

How long has it been since you last worked with Zoren? Did you ever feel ill-at-ease around him?

We last worked together in 1999 in a soap opera titled ?Habang Kapiling Ka.? I didn?t feel ilang [uneasy] around him at all. It was like years haven?t passed. He maintained a good relationship with my family. He first worked with my dad (Eddie) and brother (Richard) in ?Mulawin.? They always tell me how nice Zoren is to them. We were still young when we dated. That?s why, while on break from filming, we had fun talking about our past. We also goofed around while shooting the wedding kiss.

Did Zoren?s wife (Carmina Villaroel) ever visit him on the set?

She never visited. We were shooting like up to 4 or 5 in the morning, and sometimes I would hear Zoren talking on the phone. I thought it was with Carmina, but I later found out that it was with his son Mavi. Carmina and I regularly send text messages to each other. She told me she was all for me and Zoren being paired in this movie. We even joked about it.

How did you spend Christmas this year?

I was just at home, where family members and friends all had Noche Buena. Mommy (Annabelle Rama) and I were in charge of the menu this year. Naghati kami sa gastos (We split the cost). And for the first time since 2006, we?re all going away to Boracay on New Year?s Day.

What did you wish for yourself this Christmas?

I looked forward to more blessings. I wished for good health for my family. I also wished for peace in my love life.

How would you describe your 2009? What was good and bad about it?

It had been a good year for me. I felt blessed to have had the opportunity to work on a morning show (?Ruffa and Ai? with Ai Ai de las Alas). There weren?t as many problems as compared to 2008 when both my mom and dad were hospitalized. The bad part was that I became the subject of talks in coffee shops because people thought I was dating You-Know-Who (John Lloyd Cruz, her co-star in ?I Love Betty La Fea?). I was all over the papers.

Email mcruz@inquirer.com.ph