Former beauty queen Ruffa Gutierrez who, just a few days ago, was seen crying her heart out on TV, has reason to smile nowadays.

The QC Regional Trial Court Branch 107 issued last March 11, a resolution deciding in her favor regarding the custody case she filed concerning her children, Lorin, 5, and Venice, 4.

In the decision signed by presiding judge Jose L. Bautista, Jr., Guiterrez will have “sole custody” of her two daughters while Yilmaz Bektas, her husband, is granted visitation rights.

Gutierrez filed the case late last year to “legalize” her guardianship of the children.

“This is not about monetary support or anything… I just want everything done legally,” she had said on "The Buzz" a couple of months ago. “I think it’s only proper that we make it all formal… especially as this concerns our kids.”

Prior to the filing of the case, Guiterrez made public that she hasn’t been receiving monetary support from her husband---not that she is insisting.

“I don’t need to… I could manage,” she said.

According to Guiterrez everything is now well between her and Bektas. She verified this in a recent interview revealing that Bektas will be coming over to visit her and the kids on March 25.

When it was pointed out to her that it's virtually the same date of their marriage eight years ago, Guiterrez feigned ignorance on its significance.

"I didn’t remember,” said she, adding after awhile. "Ah, now I know why [Bektas] sent me a DVD of our wedding. Maybe he wants me to remember.”
Gutierrez admitted that she has not communicated with Bektas for the longest time.

“We haven’t talked for almost nine months and suddenly out of the blue he called and we talked. I am really hoping that this time, the peace would last.”

Gutierrez said Bektas is planning to bring her and the kids to the beach during the visit.

“I think he really missed the kids so I guess I would give him enough time to spend with them. He said he wanted to read them books under a coconut tree. I will give it to him because somehow the kids missed him too and I want to be able to show them that even if we are having problems we still love and respect each other, and of course, we’re still going to be parents to them. I don’t want them to grow up having ill feelings towards their dad.”

Only a few days ago, Guiterrez announced that Bektas has "already agreed” to give her the custody of the children.

“He said it is just but proper for the mommy to take care of the children."

The estranged couple was married on March 25, 2003 in a lavish ceremony held at The Fort in Taguig.

The couple announced their mutual decision to end their marriage on May 8, 2007. Gutierrez then quickly returned to the country with her two daughters.

A word war erupted between Bektas and the Guiterrez family, each hurling accusations that became tabloid fodder.

Prior to their separation, Bektas reportedly was able to determine through marriage records from Clark County, Nevada, that Gutierrez was allegedly married in 1999 in Las Vegas, Nevada to a certain Richard Daloia.

She clarified that she filed a petition to nullify the marriage in 2000 but Clark County’s civil, family and probate records on their website, however, shows Gutierrez filed the divorce petition only on June 1, 2007.

No other record of a previous petition appeared.

Though the actress had said she is going to file an annulment of their marriage—at the same time Bektas had announced he is seeking a divorce—there was no formal petition made pertaining to both to this day.