Professional basketball player Ricci Rivero has declared that he has "no bad blood" with his celebrity ex, Andrea Brillantes, despite their public break-up where they threw accusations against each other.

"Ever since the start, nagsasalita lang naman ako kapag medyo bugbog na yung family ko at si Leren (Bautista, his present girlfriend), which I think they don't deserve," Ricci pointed out when interviewed during the third year anniversary celebration of Zion Philippines at Solaire Resort.

(Ever since the start, I only speak up when my family and Leren are beaten in the limelight. They don't deserve it.)

"Kasi ako, wala naman po sa akin yun," he commented, referring to the controversy with Andrea. "Since pumasok ako dun sa relationship,  I know naman how social media plays in our lives and the spotlight we got during that time. Pero sa akin, wala naman talagang anything, no bad blood."

(For me, it's nothing because I knew the role of social media when I entered that relationship, that the spotlight would be put on us. I harbor nothing, no bad blood.)

"Ang sa akin lang masakit sa family ko at kay Leren kasi they don't deserve ang mga words na  nasabi sa kanila and ang mga judgments," Ricci added.

(It's just that my family and Leren didn't deserve the words thrown at them and all the judgments.)

It will be recalled that Leren, a Los Banos, Laguna councilor, became the target of fans who blamed her for being a third party in the Ricci-Andrea break-up. This prompted Ricci's mother Abigail to make a public comment: "Walang niloko at walang nanloko. (No one cheated, and no one got cheated on.)"

Looking back at the controversy with Andrea last year which put him in the news, Ricci remarked: "Hangga't nasa tama naman at maayos, God will find a way to help us through the storm. Hindi naman nya yan ibibigay sa atin without knowing na kaya nating lagpasan yan. Lahat po yun obstacles lang. I'm  just glad na happy ang family, maayos kami at healthy."

(As long as we're in the right, God will find a way to help us through the storm. He will not give us a problem without knowing we can't overcome it. All those are just obstacles. I'm just glad our family is happy, we're fine and healthy.)

The 25-year-old cager said he hopes to settle down with Leren, who is five years older than him.

"Lahat naman tayo yun ang gusto, kaya tayo pumapasok sa relationship is for the future, di ba? Di pa natin alam pero let's take it step by step," he noted.

(All of us want the same thing. The reason why we enter a relationship is for the future, right? We have yet to determine the future, but I'm taking it step by step.)