Arzen Rose Dulzura

Maris Racal says she’s not ‘paasa’ and no one’s making her heart happy—will the polygraph agree?

Article (news)

Liezel Dela Cruz

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1749440722402Thumb - 2025-06-09T114535.694.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>As Gab Rivera, Maris Racal plays Team Incognito’s most dependable undercover agent, who can craft believable lies as she slips into new identities with chameleon-like ease in the name of mission. Well, lying comes with the job when you’re deep in espionage. </p><p>But in this Lie Detector Test, there was no room for smooth cover stories as she must tell the truth while strapped to a polygraph machine with the &#x27;Kontraktor&#x27; himself, Ian Veneracion, as the interrogator. </p><div><iframe width="1265" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RlpbtJPKRxQ" title="MARIS RACAL - INCOGNITO: The Lie Detector Challenge" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>Just seconds away from being grilled, Maris let out a deep sigh while the sensors were being carefully fastened around her arm, before laughing it off with a joke about having her blood pressure checked as well, maybe because the strap resembled a &#x27;blood pressure cuff,&#x27; or maybe because there were real jitters under that smile. </p><p>Still, she braved through the challenge. &#x27;Kontraktor&#x27; started light with the basics, such as Maris&#x27; real name, birthday, and job, before he fired the first spicy question,  “Madalas ka bang magsinungaling?” to which Maris said yes. Ironically, that wasn&#x27;t a lie.  </p><p>The questions started to pick up pace, and when asked whether she ever regretted a role she played, Maris let out a laugh before admitting “yes,” which the machine validated, followed by a similar reaction when she was asked if a co-actor had ever gotten on her nerves, something she didn’t deny but didn’t elaborate on either.  </p><p>Maris also replied &quot;yes&quot; when asked whether she considers herself a good actoress, then quickly poked fun at how overly confident it sounded. There was also honesty in the way she confessed that she sometimes gets affected by the negative comments about her online.  </p><p>Things got more interesting with Ian&#x27;s queries about social media, as the polygraph betrayed her claims about not having a fake social media account, which made her overthink if she really has one and just forgot. But she didn&#x27;t deny checking out fan accounts dedicated to her and searching herself up on Google out of simple curiosity.  </p><p>The ever &#x27;palaban&#x27; Maris dove right in the questions related to the love department as well. The machine agreed when she said her heart was feeling happy just because, although it was a different story when she claimed that no one in particular is making her happy, earning her some playful teasing from her interrogator.  </p><p>She didn’t deny ghosting people, and she didn’t pretend she’s never been ghosted either. She’s checked up on an ex-boyfriend on social media (we&#x27;ve all been there), got her heart broken, and has a few regrets when it comes to love. </p><p>Another big plot twist came when she was asked, “Sa tingin mo, magaling ka ba magpaikot at magpaasa?” to which she confidently replied no, but the polygraph screamed LIE.  </p><p>As the challenge wrapped up, she said she enjoys working with her “Incognito” co-stars Richard Gutierrez, Daniel Padilla, Anthony Jennings, Baron Geisler, Kaila Estrada, and Ian, then rolled with the teasing when Ian reacted, &quot;So hindi tayo taping friends?&quot;  </p><p>And of course, when asked if she’s proud to be part of “<a href="http://incognito.abs-cbn.com"><strong><u>Incognito</u></strong></a>,” Maris gave a heartfelt “yes” paired with a smile that didn’t need any confirmation from the machine to be believed.  </p>