Jewelry worth millions of euros stolen from flat of PH envoy to Portugal Philippe Lhuillier
Abigail Kwok
Pieces of jewelry worth millions of euros were stolen by thieves from the apartment unit of Philippine ambassador to Portugal Philippe Jones Lhuillier, the French newspaper, The Parisian, reported.
The May 19 report, which appeared on The Parisian’s website said the robbers had entered the upscale apartment building located at Paris’ 16th District from the roof and forced open the window to ge into Lhuillier’s unit.
The Parisian first reported that the pieces of jewelry were worth 30 million euros, but later revised its report, saying that the stolen jewels were worth only 3 million euros or roughy P165 million.
An initial investigation from police said that after entering Lhuillier’s unit , the burglars forced open the safe and took dozens of jewelry and gemstones.
The burglars also took vases, clocks. and other valuables. It said Lhuillier’s unit was “richly decorated with paintings and masterpieces and precious ornaments.”
“This is a passionate diplomat and leading expert on gemology, continues the same source,” the report said.
The 66-year-old ambassador was in the United States at the time of the robbery.
Lhuillier was appointed by the Philippine government as ambassador to Italy in 1999. He is a member of the Lhuillier clan, who owns the PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies (PJLGC).
The PJLGC owns and operates Cebuana Lhuillier Pawnshop, one of the top pawnshops in the Philippines.
PJLGC is also engaged in other financial services such as banking, remittance, insurance, loading, bills payment, health and hotel management and information technology.
Police investigators have recovered items left behind by the robbers from the crime scene, the Parisian report stated.
“The perpetrators of this burglary have perhaps acted simply by chance, not knowing they would fall on all jewelry. Burglaries are down yet in Paris and the suburbs since the beginning of the year. But we are never immune to this type of business with enormous damage,” the report said.
Any details on the former ambassador to France whose Paris apartment was robbed of 30 million euros worth of jewels and valuables. I read on a blog the apartment was broken into through the roof by the robbers ?
“De buena familia,” Ateneo-educated, and very social fashion designer Boysie Villavicencio is close to Chuchu Madrigal-Eduque and he was “recruited” to entertain her Tita Chito Madrigal-Collantes during dinner once a week [ every Sunday ] during the latter’s dotage to prevent “interesao” relatives and friends from getting to her. Of course, he never realized he was used, but then it doesn’t matter anymore.
As the old maxim goes: “Birds of the same feather flock together.”
Happy Birthday, Tita Chito!
by BOYSIE VILLAVICENCIO
TODAY, May 18, is the birthday of Doña Consuelo “Chito” Madrigal-Collantes and if she were physically present with us here today, she would have been 91 years old.
For years on this day, we celebrated this 24-karat lady’s birthday, and years after her demise, her relatives, her friends, and her employees still continue that tradition – starting with mass at the Madrigal Town Center in Alabang (usually said by Fr. Mar Labra, also a member of the board of the Consuelo Madrigal Foundation) and lunch right after.
As Fr. Labra says: “Doña Chito lives…..she will always be remembered…..until this day, the hundreds (if not thousands) of scholars whom “she sent to school gratefully honor her as they improve their lives “through leaps and bounds”.
Another one who fondly remembers Doña Chito is Ryan “Princess” Dignadice, whom I called the “royal hairdresser”. Ryan, whose main duty was to comb Doña Chito’s hair and apply make-up on her, says he was devastated with the lady’s demise.
He says, “When I was young my goals in life were simple – to finish my studies in Education and to land a good job in my native province of Negros Occidental so I can help my family move to a better status in life.
“But fate had somehow intervened and showed me a path full of opportunities. My aunt, who was working as a private nurse for the Madrigals, offered me a job upon learning that Señora Chito was looking for a gay person to be her private beauty consultant.
“My life journey with Señora Chito began when I met her after my graduation. I was surprised to see a wealthy woman — so radiant, to be very open-minded and highly enthusiastic — to deal seriously with a person who comes from the barrio and a male cross dresser at that! She showered me with so much trust. As I lived at her residence, people teased me and called me ‘her confidante’.
“Señora Chito valued education and believed that empowerment of a person comes from education. Thus, she wanted me to develop my skills and had me enrolled at the Frank Provost Salon for a make-up course and sent me off to New York every summer to train in a course developed by Estee Lauder. As her hairdresser and make-up artist, I traveled with her at least once a month and that gave me the exposure which I am very grateful for.
“I consider myself blessed, as I learned about Señora Chito’s values and witnessed how she stood for them. She molded me with integrity, compassion and trust. The values that she taught me are deeply ingrained in my character, which until this day had trickled down to my friends, families, clients, and colleagues. This remarkable woman serves as an inspiration to countless people like me.
“From the day I met her to the day she passed away, she never judged me for my appearance nor advised me to dress according to her standards. She was a woman who looked at the positive side of life as she believed in the uniqueness of everyone — be it gay or straight. She treated each person with respect and dignity.
“Though years have passed (after her death), I can still feel my great loss….. I keep thinking that she could have hired someone from Manila, well versed with the language of her own class.
“I feel so fortunate meeting her in this lifetime and still find her influence growing inside me. Her values have guided me to make simple or complex decisions in life. The opportunities she had given have provided me hope to survive”.
Indeed Chito Madrigal Collantes lives on and the legacy she left in life continues to touch the lives of her friends and others who probably she never met.
Personally, like Fr. Mar and Ryan, I too, feel fortunate to have met a truly grand and simple lady …………..someone who cared for people like a mother; someone respected who gave respect to others; and someone who I consider to be a true f-r-i-e-n-d.
‘In the interest of truth and fairness’
The Philippine Star
Sir: I am the person referred to in the SpyBits article titled “Iggy Arroyo’s first wife indicted”, which appeared in the May 1, 2012 issue of The Philippine STAR.
Please be informed that I have not received to date any indictment for falsification from the Quezon City prosecutor. In any case, the records will show that I have not committed any falsification, and any action to indict me would be a reversible error.
Ramon Jacinto’s complaint is nothing but a part of his design to stop me from opposing his moves to appropriate for himself all the properties of the Jacinto estate to the prejudice of his siblings. Among the estate assets which Ramon now claims to be assets of corporations he controls are prime properties in several locations.
In 2009, when Ramon became the administrator of the Jacinto estate, he gave away two Baguio lots in spite of a decision of the Regional Trial Court of Baguio to return them to the Jacinto estate. He did so by entering into a compromise agreement with EPCIB/BDO and Forward Properties Inc. (FPI), where he, as administrator, waived the estate’s Baguio lots (then valued at about P200 million) in favor of EPCIB/BDO in consideration only of the latter’s waiver of all debts of FPI, a corporation he controls. This is obviously detrimental to the estate but beneficial only to FPI which is under his personal control. The compromise agreement was without the prior knowledge and consent of his siblings and the approval of the Regional Trial Court of Muntinlupa, where the settlement of the Jacinto estate is pending.
I feel Ramon’s design to stop me from fighting for my (and my other sibling’s) rights is obsessive and uncalled for. In 2009, Ramon forced me out of my condo unit at the Urdaneta Apartments, which resulted in the loss of certain estate documents and the filing of a theft case against him.
Due to the theft case, Ramon mauled me outside the Seryna Japanese Restaurant in 2010, which mauling led to the filing of an attempted homicide case against him.
Ramon is a respondent in several criminal complaints. But because he is powerful and influential, he manages to persuade certain prosecutors to rule in his favor. Except one, that is. As reported in another newspaper, the DOJ resolved to indict Ramon for nine counts of violations of BP 22, and the Supreme Court upheld the DOJ resolution in the case of Land Bank vs. Ramon Jacinto (G.R. No. 154622, Aug. 3, 2010). This case involves bouncing checks worth more than P400 million that the Land Bank could otherwise utilize for financing land acquisition under the Agrarian Reform Program.
Thus, not all can agree that Ramon is the honest and wholesome guy portrayed in the subject article.
In the interest of truth and fairness, I request that this letter be published in its entirety.
OMG!! Re Enrique’s posting of Ms. Jacinto’s indictment — the shenanigans the Arroyo family has had to go through as of late–like really bad juju.
But life was not always rosy for the Jacintos. There was a time when they were like ‘refugees’ in the US when they fled the predatory Marcos regime. While the older Jacintos languished and eventually passed away in Hawaii, the younger ones were operating a noodle fast-food off of Fifth Ave., NYC. I remember that very distinctly because all of this was happening in the shadows of Saks Fifth Avenue, Olympic Towers and St. Patrick’s Cathedral…in that order of course!!
And then of course, when the Markupits themselves fell from grace, they returned, and like the Lopezes, were able to recover their previous assets…
Iggy Arroyo’s first wife indicted
SPY BITS By Babe Romualdez
The Quezon City Prosecutor’s office has indicted Marilene Jacinto, first wife of the late Negros Occidental Congressman Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, for falsification of public documents. The indictment stemmed from a complaint by Marilene’s brother – Ramon “RJ” Jacinto – president of the family-owned Oregon Land Inc., alleging that Marilene faked a Deed of Absolute Sale and presented the same to the Quezon City Register of Deeds to have the ownership of the P300-million Novaliches property transferred to her name.
The indictment is only the latest in the long-running Jacinto family saga marked by infighting among siblings over their inheritance. The late family patriarch Don Fernando Jacinto is the acknowledged founder of the steel industry. Don Fernando’s father, Nicanor Sr., is also one of the founders of the Bank of Commerce and Security Bank, and together with the steel mill in Iligan City plus vast land holdings, the family wealth expanded to great heights. The Jacinto children lived the kind of opulence and extravagance that most other people could only dream about. At a young age, they were living in the lap of luxury, driving around in the flashiest cars and mingling with the scions of society’s most elite. As a matter of fact, RJ would be seen driving around the Ateneo campus in a red and white Thunderbird – at a time when the T-Bird was just being introduced locally – while another brother went around in a Jaguar.
Dispute over inheritance shattered the relationship between the siblings – a fact that Ramon Jacinto feels very emotional about, sources disclosed. Marilene was appointed administrator of the estate of the late Don Fernando and also took over management of the various family corporations when brothers Joselito and Fernando (Pocholo) retired after the 1997 Asian crisis that hit many businesses – which is when all the trouble allegedly started, the same sources said.
In 2007, Marilene sold the 350-hectare property of the family in Misamis Oriental for P226 million – considered ridiculously low by the other siblings and prompting them to run to RJ for help. At the time, RJ had kept his distance from the other siblings but nevertheless hired an appraiser who said the family property was worth P2.5 billion. According to sources, Marilene – whose former marriage to the late Congressman reportedly gave her considerable connections – succeeded in selling the property to the Philippine Veterans Industrial Development Corp. (Phividec) at less than 10 percent of the appraised value. (Phividec subsequently leased the property to Korean ship builder Hanjin for the latter’s $2- billion shipyard project.)
The rift among the siblings escalated with Marilene accused of squandering the family finances and running away with the others’ share – already little as it is – from the sale of the property. Court records of email exchanges (between 2007 and 2008) among the siblings revealed the acrimony and frustration especially among the other sisters who felt betrayed by Marilene. Two of the Jacinto sisters, Lilibeth and Nannette, passed away in 2009 and 2010 due to cancer while Pocholo died a year later. Sources close to the family allege that the death of RJ’s three younger siblings must have been caused by the stress and unhappiness over the infighting.
The Jacinto family saga is just one among many where with a family’s vast wealth can be dissipated due to quarrels over inheritance, or when an errant family member decides to put his or her welfare first over the others. It also does not pay when a family member with little or no knowledge of the business is put in charge, observers noted. But perhaps one of the biggest lessons is for children not to depend on the riches built by their fathers and instead, learn or at least try to stand on their own two feet – like what RJ did when at the early age of 15, he set up a backyard gig which saw the birth of the legendary RJ radio station. Today, Ramon continues to do what he loves – playing the guitar, and parlaying his passion into a multi-million peso guitar manufacturing business.
Yeah, like they will actually have trannies on there (Miss U). Remember, Trump owns the organization. It’ll be a cold day in hell before that happens; and it’s NOT going to happen in the Latin American nor Asian countries.
Trump’s NOT going to have trannies there. It’s all lip service so they get no flak from the flaming queens.
In light of the transgender issue at Miss Universe and Stella Araneta’s backyard, I thought the HELEN CRUZ story was juicy if compelling. Let’s do a musicale !
The Marcos property that was recently auctioned was owned by the late businessman Hans Menzi it was given as a gift for the wedding of Irene Marcos and Greggy Araneta in 1983.
I was corrected by a friend: Amelia de la Rama was not a relative of Remy de la Rama-Arquelles. Amelia dela Rama was just a screen name and she passed away in a home for the aged because she had squandered her wealth.
I only added the story of Helen Cruz so his story will be told and be remembered.
Today, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Jose Cojuangco family must distribute the Hacienda Luisita land to the farmers. But the bigger story is that the Supreme Court, in voting 8-6 with Chief Justice Corona voting with the majority, held to peg the just compensation for the vast sugar estate on the 1989 valuation of only 40,000 Pesos per hectare (and not the 10 Billion Peso value they are claiming which is based on today’s valuation).
40,000 Pesos x 4,915.75 Hectares — that’s not even 200 Million Pesos! Not even enough for a property in Forbes Park!
The family must be collectively gnashing their teeth tonight!
Amelia dela Rama-Brailey was a sweet friend. I met her when I asked to follow Boris Spasky when he was in Manila as the grand loser to Chess Chess Wiz Eugene Torre. It was a journalist assignment from Julie Yap Daza, I remember Amelia’s home in Forbes. She was very beautiful with smiling eyes and a Mona Lisa smile.
I interviewed her for Julie’s People Magazine in the early 80s, Amelia loved to go out for lunch and delight my curiousity. She invited me to her really fabulous home in Baguio.
” In my youth, people dismissed me as a pretty face but always sat me in the farthest tables at social events and dinners. I was the ONE that high society women would throw a zapatilla at BECAUSE their husbands always flirted with me. I couldn’t help it.
One dinner, as usual I was seated far away from President Sukarno’s table BUT after dinner as the band played a samba song, I saw HIM walking straight up to me. I said I didn’t know how to dance and he answered I WILL teach you. For the rest of the evening SUKARNO danced with me to the consternation of all the society ladies. Then we were married soon after that . ”
Amelia dela Rama was a former movie star in the late 1950′s and early 1960′s if i remember correctly she is related to Socialite Reme dela Rama Arquelles before she married President Sukarno she was married twice President Sukarno met Amelia dela Rama in 1963 at a reception for President Sukarno immediately he was smitten with the beautiful Amelia dela Rama they got married in a mosque in Jakarta in 1964 a year later President Sukarno was deposed by a general named Suharto after the death of President Sukarno Amelia dela Rama married James Braly a former pilot of President Eisenhower
here is another story of Presidnet Sukarno dating Helen Cruz written in the Manila Bulletin
Yes, Helen Cruz is a “he,” but he dated famous men, among them the late Indonesian President Sukarno, who didn’t know at first that Helen was a man like them. Perhaps the country’s most famous transvestite, Helen enthralled not only President Sukarno (who later had for a Filipina wife the beauteous Amelia de la Rama) such popular international celebrities like Troy Donahue, Ricardo Montalban and Matt Monroe.
“With the others, it was just dinner dates, but with Matt Monroe, it was a real date,” Helen laughed in her trademark husky voice. “He can’t believe at first that I was a he, but later he said it was okay. He told me that back in London, when he was younger, he was raped by five men.” They dated three times, she revealed, and one time they were at the Filipinas Hotel, a famous actress came knocking at Matt’s hotel room. Matt told her he can’t invite her in because he had company. The actress understood, and asked Matt to call her the next day. Helen said Matt later married a woman named Helen, “but it wasn’t me.”
President Sukarno was a guest of then Senator Sergio Osmeña, Jr. and “he requested Serging for a date with me,” Helen recalled. “Akala niya kasi babae ako. We had dinner at Madrid Restaurant.”
When Hollywood actor Ricardo Montalban visited the country (as guest of the Puyats), “Gene Puyat brought him to The Niles where I sang. I even danced the tango with him.”
For the younger generations who don’t know Helen Cruz, he was a famous singer during her time, a sought–after performer along The Strip (then called Dewey Boulevard). Helen was the toast of Bulakeña even before Carmen Soriano’s time.
He started out as a singer when he joined the “Big Broadcast” amateur singing contest (through Constancio de Guzman and Luzmat Castro) and won as “Julie London of the Philippines.” He later performed in stage shows with Bayani Casimiro at the Opera House.
“I started singing professionally at Bulakeña,” Helen said. This was also where Carmen Soriano, Merci Molina, Lucille Labides and others made a name as singers. After Bulakeña, Helen moved to Bayside where he performed the longest. “I was there singing everyday at lunchtime for 19 years!” Helen said. Her pay? “R12 a day but I got big tips from the heavy spenders like the Puyats who easily would pull out from their pockets R50 for my tip everytime,” she recalled. At the Bayside, Helen sang with Verling Villapando and his orchestra.
Helen, who became well known for his naughty songs, also performed in between at nightclubs in Clark Field through promoter Dick Reynolds; and at other then popular venues in Manila like Aroma Café in Rizal Ave. where Merci and Carmen Pateña also sang; D&E with Vilma Valera, Luisa & Sons, Alex Soda Fountain in Quiapo, and Jade Vine along U.N. Ave.
After Bayside, Helen went to perform at Bayside Hong Kong, followed by foreign stints in the US, Australia, Japan and other countries.
Speaking of first & last wives, was just quickly looking at a Wikipedia biography of Sukarno of Indonesia…and Enrique might provide some light on this. It says that Amelia de la Rama was his last wife. I never realized that. She is listed with one movie credit on IMDB.
Is she of THE de la Rama’s of Cebu? Is that why Minnie O and Dewi Sukarno had something sort in common? Whatever happened to this Amelia when Sukarno died? Calling Enrique…
A business empire is the best inheritance parents leave their children. It could also end up a legal if not bloody war among heirs.
The Philippine business scene is replete with cases of siblings and relatives practically killing each other if not destroying each other in public over quarrels over inheritance.
Among those that caught media attention in recent times were cases of the Delgados, Ilusorios, Madrigals, Revillas, Jacintos, and most recently, the renewed interest on the Basa-Guidote feud over a P34Million property in Manila.
In most of these cases, the courts are the main battle grounds. Some feuds go out of hand and result in physical violence and in some cases deaths in the family.
The Jacinto dispute over inheritance and family business is one case that has gone out of hand and the feud is in the courts and in bar brawl.
Ramon Jacinto was accused by his younger sister, Marilene, of attempted homicide after an alleged mauling incident in a Makati restaurant.
The Jacinto family here is the family of Ramon Jacinto, the rock and roll musical icon and businessman who got into problems with a government bank over a property at the Buendia stretch in Makati City.
The Jacinto’s money comes from the iron and steel business in Iligan City, the Jacinto Steel Mill. In her complaint-affidavit, Marilene accused RJ and his wife, Frannie, of mauling her after throwing invectives on her after an altercation at a Japanese restaurant in Makati last Nov. 10, 2010.
She said before taking a set, she saw RJ approaching her already shouting invective: “Marilene, p—–ina mo! Papatayin kita.” RJ appeared to be too drunk, forcing her to get out of the restaurant and go to her car.
But before she could reach her car, RJ was able to caught her then punched her at the head, face and hands with closed fists. RJ, according to her, didn’t stop and instead pushed her so hard with his hands that she fell her head first on the cemented street fronting the restaurant.
Lastly, RJ pulled her hair and dragged her for about three meters before his wife who only looked while he was being beaten. “RJ was ruthless and would not have stopped mauling me had my car with my driver not pulled up.
For fears that she sustained serious injuries, Marilene submitted herself to medical examination where doctors at Ospital ng Makati confirmed that she sustained hematoma at the right area of her head and right hand area and buttocks; tenderness at the cheek and jaw and right medial thigh; and abrasions at left foot.
She said that RJ intention was really to kill her based on the following insinuations: repeated verbal threats before and during the mauling, didn’t stop mauling her until her driver intervened, the injuries he inflicted were numerous and severe, she is thin and just survived a stroke but her brother didn’t mind this medical condition.
RJ’s mauling of her younger sister stemmed from tussle over family property which is common among rich clans all over the world.
He alleged in his counter affidavit that it was Marilene who has grudge against him that’s why she filed a complaint more than a year after the mauling incident.
The alleged “crimes” of Marilene, according to RJ, includes falsification of public documents to be able to buy a property from a certain Oregon firm; and for earning P226 million after committing violation of anti-graft and corrupt practices act for defrauding their company, F. Jacinto Group, Inc., via entering a settlement with another company.
RJ maintained that what happened on the night of Nov. 16, 2010 at Seryna restaurant was only verbal tussle urging Marilene to return the assets she embezzled for personal use.
RJ also alleged that if he really mauled his sister, he and his family could have not finished their dinner. Whether RJ is telling the truth or not, siblings’ dispute over family fortune is common all over the world.
Take the case of business magnate brothers Anil Ambani and Mukesh Ambani who had been fighting in court over who will get bigger share in the $8 billion fortune left by their father Dhirubhai Ambani in 2002.
The fortune of Gianni Versace, the late fashion designer, is also a subject of siblings’ rivalry. After his death in 1997, his siblings Santo and Donatella have been slugging it out who will have bigger role in the $3-billion fashion empire left by their elder brother, who was a bachelor when he died.
Although Santo and Donatella haven’t fought in court, their rivalry is very evident as they keep on introducing new line of clothes that are totally distinct from each camp.
The reported mauling by RJ of his sister leaves a bad mark in the music icon’s drive to recover an image damaged by the scandal left on the Makati City property and his fight with a Japanese business partner.
The last heard from the Japanese businessman was he will never again trust a Filipino. It was reported that the Japanese lost almost P1Billion.
Marilene is the first wife of now deceased Rep. Iggie Arroyo. She is the mother of two of the former congressman children.
In the middle of controversy over the death of her husband, Marilene continues to suffer from delayed justice as her case languishes in our justice system.
She has a rock and roll icon in the Philippine music scene for a brother. She was also rocked in the head and rolled in embarrassment, the reason she went to the courts
Speaking of ex-ambassadors, the gofer-brother of La Fabulosa Pomposa one, passed away in Makati Med last week. But his passing has been eclipsed by the long-drawn out saga of Iggy Arroyo’s final return. Shall he? Won’t he? Who’s the Official Widow? Who’s the Official Griever? I mean such tedious drama. The coffin alone is logging more frequent flier miles than most of us can accumulate in a lifetime.
Anyway, back to the more controversial ex-envoy who did have those farcical escapades in ***’s NYC apartment. Well, in his obituary, it was stated that the Leyteno is survived by his wife, his oldest son, Daniel (who is an architect/interior decorator) in New York City, and son’s “…partner, a Michael.” Oh. I was somewhat surprised to see this in print in the official obituary of a supposed leading R.P. political personality; but I guess we’re all very avante these days. But I was not at all surprised to learn that not only has D.R.a spacious flat in NYC + his business, but he owns a compound in Montauk, Long Island (a couple of summer cottages, I guess) and this spread in Beverly Hills featured in Architectural Digest.
Shifting gears, some Oscar trivia. So some starlet wore a Monique Lhuillier at last Sunday’s fete; several professional models wore Oliver Tolentino’s ready-to-eat pina dresses. However, this is NOT the first-time that Filipino/a designers crashed the Oscar bash. Who was the first Manila designer to have his work worn at the prestigious event (i.e., the actress walked up to claim her Oscar in his design)? Hint: it was 50 years ago.
The Maria Petronila “Cookie” Chanco Syquia – Larsen murder at the prewar, Art Deco-style “Michel” apartments in Malate, Manila.
No, she was not some “DH” ( domestic helper ) married to a Danish man as the newspapers trivialized her to be. She was a “de buena familia” heiress of the very old money Syquia clan.
Hollywood’s first major awards night for film and television last Monday celebrated celebrity fashion that was truly elegant, which is the refusal of anything over the top. For the 69th Golden Globes it was all about age appropriate, quiet quality, reverse glamor and dare we say comfortable couture that were the terrific trends on the red carpet.
Angelina Jolie with a slash of red on her white sheath by Donatella Versace was top of the list, Nicole Kidman and Selma Hayek wore the new template for discreet Art Deco beadwork. Crimson, all shades of nude and blush plus the return of black were the colors of choice. Chiffon, satin, charmuese, taffeta, gazar, organza and peau de soie were fabrics deftly employed.
The newest jewelry trend were the sparkle plenty headbands worn by Michelle Williams and Charlize Theron. Every shape and color for dangling megawatt earrings were the jewels of choice. Also small clutch bags and statement cuffs with competing big precious stone rings. Hair was back combed and upswept and make-up was 60s movie star style with eyeliner, false eyelashes and pale lips on a sea of beautiful faces.
Suddenly it seemed stars and their stylists have finally nailed the best looks at the Golden Globes night in Hollywood by keeping it minimal yet stunningly singular. It was about a personalized, made-to-measure look and the actors owned it.
Wardrobe winners Clair Danes in J. Mendel, Meryll Streep in Dior, Helen Mirren in Badgeley Mischka wore memorable looks that will be remembered for their seductive simplicity and consideration for comfort that would have them partying the night away after a champagne soaked dinner.
Fashion must follow function. When the dress does not overpower the woman, it becomes memorable. In this spread study the stars in their personalized couture and see how less has more impact.
Toto, I know people are starving and their existences are temporarily being diverted by the Ortigas-Bayot scandale (why did it take her 44 years to act?) but I just came across this YouTube clip
to share with your discerning readers (particularly Enrique B. and the former Tai-tai). This is the clip showing La Taylor singing “Send in the CLowns” (she is partially dubbed in the last part of the song) but wearing some cheap little bauble to cover that hideous tracheotomy scar of hers. The little bauble, is of course, La Peregrina, which fetched nearly $12 million at last month’s auction of her jewelry.
Enrique Bustos said,
May 22, 2012 at 3:42 am
Jewelry worth millions of euros stolen from flat of PH envoy to Portugal Philippe Lhuillier
Abigail Kwok
Pieces of jewelry worth millions of euros were stolen by thieves from the apartment unit of Philippine ambassador to Portugal Philippe Jones Lhuillier, the French newspaper, The Parisian, reported.
The May 19 report, which appeared on The Parisian’s website said the robbers had entered the upscale apartment building located at Paris’ 16th District from the roof and forced open the window to ge into Lhuillier’s unit.
The Parisian first reported that the pieces of jewelry were worth 30 million euros, but later revised its report, saying that the stolen jewels were worth only 3 million euros or roughy P165 million.
An initial investigation from police said that after entering Lhuillier’s unit , the burglars forced open the safe and took dozens of jewelry and gemstones.
The burglars also took vases, clocks. and other valuables. It said Lhuillier’s unit was “richly decorated with paintings and masterpieces and precious ornaments.”
“This is a passionate diplomat and leading expert on gemology, continues the same source,” the report said.
The 66-year-old ambassador was in the United States at the time of the robbery.
Lhuillier was appointed by the Philippine government as ambassador to Italy in 1999. He is a member of the Lhuillier clan, who owns the PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies (PJLGC).
The PJLGC owns and operates Cebuana Lhuillier Pawnshop, one of the top pawnshops in the Philippines.
PJLGC is also engaged in other financial services such as banking, remittance, insurance, loading, bills payment, health and hotel management and information technology.
Police investigators have recovered items left behind by the robbers from the crime scene, the Parisian report stated.
“The perpetrators of this burglary have perhaps acted simply by chance, not knowing they would fall on all jewelry. Burglaries are down yet in Paris and the suburbs since the beginning of the year. But we are never immune to this type of business with enormous damage,” the report said.
Larry Leviste said,
May 21, 2012 at 10:24 am
Any details on the former ambassador to France whose Paris apartment was robbed of 30 million euros worth of jewels and valuables. I read on a blog the apartment was broken into through the roof by the robbers ?
Alicia Perez said,
May 18, 2012 at 4:32 am
“De buena familia,” Ateneo-educated, and very social fashion designer Boysie Villavicencio is close to Chuchu Madrigal-Eduque and he was “recruited” to entertain her Tita Chito Madrigal-Collantes during dinner once a week [ every Sunday ] during the latter’s dotage to prevent “interesao” relatives and friends from getting to her. Of course, he never realized he was used, but then it doesn’t matter anymore.
As the old maxim goes: “Birds of the same feather flock together.”
Alicia Perez
Enrique Bustos said,
May 18, 2012 at 3:24 am
Happy Birthday, Tita Chito!
by BOYSIE VILLAVICENCIO
TODAY, May 18, is the birthday of Doña Consuelo “Chito” Madrigal-Collantes and if she were physically present with us here today, she would have been 91 years old.
For years on this day, we celebrated this 24-karat lady’s birthday, and years after her demise, her relatives, her friends, and her employees still continue that tradition – starting with mass at the Madrigal Town Center in Alabang (usually said by Fr. Mar Labra, also a member of the board of the Consuelo Madrigal Foundation) and lunch right after.
As Fr. Labra says: “Doña Chito lives…..she will always be remembered…..until this day, the hundreds (if not thousands) of scholars whom “she sent to school gratefully honor her as they improve their lives “through leaps and bounds”.
Another one who fondly remembers Doña Chito is Ryan “Princess” Dignadice, whom I called the “royal hairdresser”. Ryan, whose main duty was to comb Doña Chito’s hair and apply make-up on her, says he was devastated with the lady’s demise.
He says, “When I was young my goals in life were simple – to finish my studies in Education and to land a good job in my native province of Negros Occidental so I can help my family move to a better status in life.
“But fate had somehow intervened and showed me a path full of opportunities. My aunt, who was working as a private nurse for the Madrigals, offered me a job upon learning that Señora Chito was looking for a gay person to be her private beauty consultant.
“My life journey with Señora Chito began when I met her after my graduation. I was surprised to see a wealthy woman — so radiant, to be very open-minded and highly enthusiastic — to deal seriously with a person who comes from the barrio and a male cross dresser at that! She showered me with so much trust. As I lived at her residence, people teased me and called me ‘her confidante’.
“Señora Chito valued education and believed that empowerment of a person comes from education. Thus, she wanted me to develop my skills and had me enrolled at the Frank Provost Salon for a make-up course and sent me off to New York every summer to train in a course developed by Estee Lauder. As her hairdresser and make-up artist, I traveled with her at least once a month and that gave me the exposure which I am very grateful for.
“I consider myself blessed, as I learned about Señora Chito’s values and witnessed how she stood for them. She molded me with integrity, compassion and trust. The values that she taught me are deeply ingrained in my character, which until this day had trickled down to my friends, families, clients, and colleagues. This remarkable woman serves as an inspiration to countless people like me.
“From the day I met her to the day she passed away, she never judged me for my appearance nor advised me to dress according to her standards. She was a woman who looked at the positive side of life as she believed in the uniqueness of everyone — be it gay or straight. She treated each person with respect and dignity.
“Though years have passed (after her death), I can still feel my great loss….. I keep thinking that she could have hired someone from Manila, well versed with the language of her own class.
“I feel so fortunate meeting her in this lifetime and still find her influence growing inside me. Her values have guided me to make simple or complex decisions in life. The opportunities she had given have provided me hope to survive”.
Indeed Chito Madrigal Collantes lives on and the legacy she left in life continues to touch the lives of her friends and others who probably she never met.
Personally, like Fr. Mar and Ryan, I too, feel fortunate to have met a truly grand and simple lady …………..someone who cared for people like a mother; someone respected who gave respect to others; and someone who I consider to be a true f-r-i-e-n-d.
Happy Birthday Tita Chito!
toto gonzalez said,
May 16, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Mercedes Tomasa “Ditas” Gonzalez-Favis Gomez passed away today, Wednesday, 16 May 2012, at the age of 60.
Whoa, Ditas, you had to go on the ultimate “trip”!!! I will really miss you, my dear, dear, dear friend and “prima”!!!
Eternal rest grant unto the soul of Ditas [ and Donna Summer too! ]. And may perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace. Amen.
Toto Gonzalez
toto gonzalez said,
May 16, 2012 at 10:33 am
Beata “Betty” Mercado Baron-Marcelo, the “sans rival” legend, passed away today, Wednesday, 16 May 2012, at the age of 74.
For all the love, joy, thoughtfulness, kindness, warmth, and generosity you so freely gave to our lives, we thank you very much, Tita Betty!!!
Eternal rest grant unto the soul of Tita Betty. And may perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace. Amen.
Toto Gonzalez
Enrique Bustos said,
May 16, 2012 at 9:31 am
‘In the interest of truth and fairness’
The Philippine Star
Sir: I am the person referred to in the SpyBits article titled “Iggy Arroyo’s first wife indicted”, which appeared in the May 1, 2012 issue of The Philippine STAR.
Please be informed that I have not received to date any indictment for falsification from the Quezon City prosecutor. In any case, the records will show that I have not committed any falsification, and any action to indict me would be a reversible error.
Ramon Jacinto’s complaint is nothing but a part of his design to stop me from opposing his moves to appropriate for himself all the properties of the Jacinto estate to the prejudice of his siblings. Among the estate assets which Ramon now claims to be assets of corporations he controls are prime properties in several locations.
In 2009, when Ramon became the administrator of the Jacinto estate, he gave away two Baguio lots in spite of a decision of the Regional Trial Court of Baguio to return them to the Jacinto estate. He did so by entering into a compromise agreement with EPCIB/BDO and Forward Properties Inc. (FPI), where he, as administrator, waived the estate’s Baguio lots (then valued at about P200 million) in favor of EPCIB/BDO in consideration only of the latter’s waiver of all debts of FPI, a corporation he controls. This is obviously detrimental to the estate but beneficial only to FPI which is under his personal control. The compromise agreement was without the prior knowledge and consent of his siblings and the approval of the Regional Trial Court of Muntinlupa, where the settlement of the Jacinto estate is pending.
I feel Ramon’s design to stop me from fighting for my (and my other sibling’s) rights is obsessive and uncalled for. In 2009, Ramon forced me out of my condo unit at the Urdaneta Apartments, which resulted in the loss of certain estate documents and the filing of a theft case against him.
Due to the theft case, Ramon mauled me outside the Seryna Japanese Restaurant in 2010, which mauling led to the filing of an attempted homicide case against him.
Ramon is a respondent in several criminal complaints. But because he is powerful and influential, he manages to persuade certain prosecutors to rule in his favor. Except one, that is. As reported in another newspaper, the DOJ resolved to indict Ramon for nine counts of violations of BP 22, and the Supreme Court upheld the DOJ resolution in the case of Land Bank vs. Ramon Jacinto (G.R. No. 154622, Aug. 3, 2010). This case involves bouncing checks worth more than P400 million that the Land Bank could otherwise utilize for financing land acquisition under the Agrarian Reform Program.
Thus, not all can agree that Ramon is the honest and wholesome guy portrayed in the subject article.
In the interest of truth and fairness, I request that this letter be published in its entirety.
Very truly yours,
Marilene P. Jacinto
Tandang Sora, Quezon City
toto gonzalez said,
May 14, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Auntie Cynthia!!!!!!!!
How wonderful to see you here! Miss you! Do get in touch when you’re in town!
Best to Uncle Ed.
Cheers!!!
Toto Gonzalez
Cynthia Yaptinchay-Abad Bondoc said,
May 13, 2012 at 5:34 am
Toto dear, LOL finally. Hru?
Email soon, ok?
A. Cynthia yA-B.
Presy Guevara said,
May 7, 2012 at 12:47 pm
I mourn with the whole Philippines on the passing away of its great female modernist Anita Magsaysay-Ho. Condolences to all concerned.
Presy Guevara
toto gonzalez said,
May 6, 2012 at 6:37 am
06 May: Birthday wishes to Regina Soriano Jalandoni-Garcia.
Happy happy happy birthday, Giging!!!
Toto Gonzalez
toto gonzalez said,
May 5, 2012 at 6:34 pm
Artist Anita Magsaysay-Ho passed away on 05 May 2012.
Our thoughts and prayers.
Toto Gonzalez
toto gonzalez said,
May 3, 2012 at 7:47 pm
03 May: Birthday wishes to Rosemarie Gonzalez Rodriguez-Lopez.
Happy happy happy birthday Rose!!!
Toto Gonzalez
Myles Garcia said,
May 2, 2012 at 5:18 pm
OMG!! Re Enrique’s posting of Ms. Jacinto’s indictment — the shenanigans the Arroyo family has had to go through as of late–like really bad juju.
But life was not always rosy for the Jacintos. There was a time when they were like ‘refugees’ in the US when they fled the predatory Marcos regime. While the older Jacintos languished and eventually passed away in Hawaii, the younger ones were operating a noodle fast-food off of Fifth Ave., NYC. I remember that very distinctly because all of this was happening in the shadows of Saks Fifth Avenue, Olympic Towers and St. Patrick’s Cathedral…in that order of course!!
And then of course, when the Markupits themselves fell from grace, they returned, and like the Lopezes, were able to recover their previous assets…
Enrique Bustos said,
May 1, 2012 at 2:01 pm
Iggy Arroyo’s first wife indicted
SPY BITS By Babe Romualdez
The Quezon City Prosecutor’s office has indicted Marilene Jacinto, first wife of the late Negros Occidental Congressman Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, for falsification of public documents. The indictment stemmed from a complaint by Marilene’s brother – Ramon “RJ” Jacinto – president of the family-owned Oregon Land Inc., alleging that Marilene faked a Deed of Absolute Sale and presented the same to the Quezon City Register of Deeds to have the ownership of the P300-million Novaliches property transferred to her name.
The indictment is only the latest in the long-running Jacinto family saga marked by infighting among siblings over their inheritance. The late family patriarch Don Fernando Jacinto is the acknowledged founder of the steel industry. Don Fernando’s father, Nicanor Sr., is also one of the founders of the Bank of Commerce and Security Bank, and together with the steel mill in Iligan City plus vast land holdings, the family wealth expanded to great heights. The Jacinto children lived the kind of opulence and extravagance that most other people could only dream about. At a young age, they were living in the lap of luxury, driving around in the flashiest cars and mingling with the scions of society’s most elite. As a matter of fact, RJ would be seen driving around the Ateneo campus in a red and white Thunderbird – at a time when the T-Bird was just being introduced locally – while another brother went around in a Jaguar.
Dispute over inheritance shattered the relationship between the siblings – a fact that Ramon Jacinto feels very emotional about, sources disclosed. Marilene was appointed administrator of the estate of the late Don Fernando and also took over management of the various family corporations when brothers Joselito and Fernando (Pocholo) retired after the 1997 Asian crisis that hit many businesses – which is when all the trouble allegedly started, the same sources said.
In 2007, Marilene sold the 350-hectare property of the family in Misamis Oriental for P226 million – considered ridiculously low by the other siblings and prompting them to run to RJ for help. At the time, RJ had kept his distance from the other siblings but nevertheless hired an appraiser who said the family property was worth P2.5 billion. According to sources, Marilene – whose former marriage to the late Congressman reportedly gave her considerable connections – succeeded in selling the property to the Philippine Veterans Industrial Development Corp. (Phividec) at less than 10 percent of the appraised value. (Phividec subsequently leased the property to Korean ship builder Hanjin for the latter’s $2- billion shipyard project.)
The rift among the siblings escalated with Marilene accused of squandering the family finances and running away with the others’ share – already little as it is – from the sale of the property. Court records of email exchanges (between 2007 and 2008) among the siblings revealed the acrimony and frustration especially among the other sisters who felt betrayed by Marilene. Two of the Jacinto sisters, Lilibeth and Nannette, passed away in 2009 and 2010 due to cancer while Pocholo died a year later. Sources close to the family allege that the death of RJ’s three younger siblings must have been caused by the stress and unhappiness over the infighting.
The Jacinto family saga is just one among many where with a family’s vast wealth can be dissipated due to quarrels over inheritance, or when an errant family member decides to put his or her welfare first over the others. It also does not pay when a family member with little or no knowledge of the business is put in charge, observers noted. But perhaps one of the biggest lessons is for children not to depend on the riches built by their fathers and instead, learn or at least try to stand on their own two feet – like what RJ did when at the early age of 15, he set up a backyard gig which saw the birth of the legendary RJ radio station. Today, Ramon continues to do what he loves – playing the guitar, and parlaying his passion into a multi-million peso guitar manufacturing business.
Myles Garcia said,
April 29, 2012 at 7:16 am
Yeah, like they will actually have trannies on there (Miss U). Remember, Trump owns the organization. It’ll be a cold day in hell before that happens; and it’s NOT going to happen in the Latin American nor Asian countries.
Trump’s NOT going to have trannies there. It’s all lip service so they get no flak from the flaming queens.
toto gonzalez said,
April 27, 2012 at 9:16 am
Larry:
Ha ha ha ha ha!!!
You go, gurl!!!
Cheers!!!
Toto Gonzalez
Larry Leviste said,
April 27, 2012 at 8:35 am
In light of the transgender issue at Miss Universe and Stella Araneta’s backyard, I thought the HELEN CRUZ story was juicy if compelling. Let’s do a musicale !
toto gonzalez said,
April 26, 2012 at 1:36 pm
26 April: Birthday wishes to former [ and future ] Senator Maria Ana Abad Santos Madrigal!!!
Happy happy happy birthday, Jamby!!!
Toto Gonzalez
toto gonzalez said,
April 25, 2012 at 12:47 pm
De La Salle Brother Rolando Dizon F.S.C. passed away today, 25 April 2012.
Our condolences to the De La Salle community and to the Dizon family.
“Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God…
Eternal rest grant unto the soul of Brother Roly Dizon F.S.C.. May perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace. Amen.
Saint John Baptist de la Salle, pray for us. Live Jesus in our hearts forever.”
Toto Gonzalez
[ Augusto Marcelino Reyes Gonzalez III, La Salle Greenhills G.S. 1980, H.S. 1984 ]
Enrique Bustos said,
April 25, 2012 at 11:58 am
The Marcos property that was recently auctioned was owned by the late businessman Hans Menzi it was given as a gift for the wedding of Irene Marcos and Greggy Araneta in 1983.
Enrique Bustos said,
April 25, 2012 at 11:54 am
I was corrected by a friend: Amelia de la Rama was not a relative of Remy de la Rama-Arquelles. Amelia dela Rama was just a screen name and she passed away in a home for the aged because she had squandered her wealth.
I only added the story of Helen Cruz so his story will be told and be remembered.
toto gonzalez said,
April 25, 2012 at 10:37 am
Headline today: “Marcos property in Baguio sold for millions”
Tens of millions of pesos ONLY [ USD $ 2 million = +- PHP 93 million ]???!!! Hahahahahah!!!
One can hear the collective laugh of the Marcoses. “That’s just coin change [ Barya lang iyan ]!!!”
Toto Gonzalez
Ipê Nazareno said,
April 24, 2012 at 1:13 pm
Today, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Jose Cojuangco family must distribute the Hacienda Luisita land to the farmers. But the bigger story is that the Supreme Court, in voting 8-6 with Chief Justice Corona voting with the majority, held to peg the just compensation for the vast sugar estate on the 1989 valuation of only 40,000 Pesos per hectare (and not the 10 Billion Peso value they are claiming which is based on today’s valuation).
40,000 Pesos x 4,915.75 Hectares — that’s not even 200 Million Pesos! Not even enough for a property in Forbes Park!
The family must be collectively gnashing their teeth tonight!
toto gonzalez said,
April 17, 2012 at 11:11 am
Maria Elena “Peachy” Fabella Pelaez-Reyes passed away on 16 April 2012.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Pelaez family.
Toto Gonzalez
toto gonzalez said,
March 31, 2012 at 6:41 am
31 March: Birthday wishes to Regina Lopez Araneta-Teodoro.
Happy happy happy birthday, T Regi!!!
Toto Gonzalez
Myles Garcia said,
March 30, 2012 at 6:11 am
Enrique, I asked about Amelia dela Rama. Don’t care about this “Helen Cruz.” Thanks, Larry. Am curious about the rest of Amelia’s story.
Larry Leviste said,
March 29, 2012 at 3:16 am
Amelia dela Rama-Brailey was a sweet friend. I met her when I asked to follow Boris Spasky when he was in Manila as the grand loser to Chess Chess Wiz Eugene Torre. It was a journalist assignment from Julie Yap Daza, I remember Amelia’s home in Forbes. She was very beautiful with smiling eyes and a Mona Lisa smile.
I interviewed her for Julie’s People Magazine in the early 80s, Amelia loved to go out for lunch and delight my curiousity. She invited me to her really fabulous home in Baguio.
” In my youth, people dismissed me as a pretty face but always sat me in the farthest tables at social events and dinners. I was the ONE that high society women would throw a zapatilla at BECAUSE their husbands always flirted with me. I couldn’t help it.
One dinner, as usual I was seated far away from President Sukarno’s table BUT after dinner as the band played a samba song, I saw HIM walking straight up to me. I said I didn’t know how to dance and he answered I WILL teach you. For the rest of the evening SUKARNO danced with me to the consternation of all the society ladies. Then we were married soon after that . ”
TO BE CONTINUED
Enrique Bustos said,
March 28, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Amelia dela Rama was a former movie star in the late 1950′s and early 1960′s if i remember correctly she is related to Socialite Reme dela Rama Arquelles before she married President Sukarno she was married twice President Sukarno met Amelia dela Rama in 1963 at a reception for President Sukarno immediately he was smitten with the beautiful Amelia dela Rama they got married in a mosque in Jakarta in 1964 a year later President Sukarno was deposed by a general named Suharto after the death of President Sukarno Amelia dela Rama married James Braly a former pilot of President Eisenhower
here is another story of Presidnet Sukarno dating Helen Cruz written in the Manila Bulletin
Yes, Helen Cruz is a “he,” but he dated famous men, among them the late Indonesian President Sukarno, who didn’t know at first that Helen was a man like them. Perhaps the country’s most famous transvestite, Helen enthralled not only President Sukarno (who later had for a Filipina wife the beauteous Amelia de la Rama) such popular international celebrities like Troy Donahue, Ricardo Montalban and Matt Monroe.
“With the others, it was just dinner dates, but with Matt Monroe, it was a real date,” Helen laughed in her trademark husky voice. “He can’t believe at first that I was a he, but later he said it was okay. He told me that back in London, when he was younger, he was raped by five men.” They dated three times, she revealed, and one time they were at the Filipinas Hotel, a famous actress came knocking at Matt’s hotel room. Matt told her he can’t invite her in because he had company. The actress understood, and asked Matt to call her the next day. Helen said Matt later married a woman named Helen, “but it wasn’t me.”
President Sukarno was a guest of then Senator Sergio Osmeña, Jr. and “he requested Serging for a date with me,” Helen recalled. “Akala niya kasi babae ako. We had dinner at Madrid Restaurant.”
When Hollywood actor Ricardo Montalban visited the country (as guest of the Puyats), “Gene Puyat brought him to The Niles where I sang. I even danced the tango with him.”
For the younger generations who don’t know Helen Cruz, he was a famous singer during her time, a sought–after performer along The Strip (then called Dewey Boulevard). Helen was the toast of Bulakeña even before Carmen Soriano’s time.
He started out as a singer when he joined the “Big Broadcast” amateur singing contest (through Constancio de Guzman and Luzmat Castro) and won as “Julie London of the Philippines.” He later performed in stage shows with Bayani Casimiro at the Opera House.
“I started singing professionally at Bulakeña,” Helen said. This was also where Carmen Soriano, Merci Molina, Lucille Labides and others made a name as singers. After Bulakeña, Helen moved to Bayside where he performed the longest. “I was there singing everyday at lunchtime for 19 years!” Helen said. Her pay? “R12 a day but I got big tips from the heavy spenders like the Puyats who easily would pull out from their pockets R50 for my tip everytime,” she recalled. At the Bayside, Helen sang with Verling Villapando and his orchestra.
Helen, who became well known for his naughty songs, also performed in between at nightclubs in Clark Field through promoter Dick Reynolds; and at other then popular venues in Manila like Aroma Café in Rizal Ave. where Merci and Carmen Pateña also sang; D&E with Vilma Valera, Luisa & Sons, Alex Soda Fountain in Quiapo, and Jade Vine along U.N. Ave.
After Bayside, Helen went to perform at Bayside Hong Kong, followed by foreign stints in the US, Australia, Japan and other countries.
Myles Garcia said,
March 26, 2012 at 2:01 am
Speaking of first & last wives, was just quickly looking at a Wikipedia biography of Sukarno of Indonesia…and Enrique might provide some light on this. It says that Amelia de la Rama was his last wife. I never realized that. She is listed with one movie credit on IMDB.
Is she of THE de la Rama’s of Cebu? Is that why Minnie O and Dewi Sukarno had something sort in common? Whatever happened to this Amelia when Sukarno died? Calling Enrique…
OpinYon (@OpinyonNewsMag) said,
March 22, 2012 at 1:36 am
For more news visit :
http://www.opinyon.com.ph/
Enrique Bustos said,
March 19, 2012 at 9:36 am
Marilene Pereyra Jacinto was the first wife of the late Negros Occidental Congressman Ignacio Tuason Arroyo
Enrique Bustos said,
March 19, 2012 at 9:33 am
Rocked and Rolled
by ED VELASCO
A business empire is the best inheritance parents leave their children. It could also end up a legal if not bloody war among heirs.
The Philippine business scene is replete with cases of siblings and relatives practically killing each other if not destroying each other in public over quarrels over inheritance.
Among those that caught media attention in recent times were cases of the Delgados, Ilusorios, Madrigals, Revillas, Jacintos, and most recently, the renewed interest on the Basa-Guidote feud over a P34Million property in Manila.
In most of these cases, the courts are the main battle grounds. Some feuds go out of hand and result in physical violence and in some cases deaths in the family.
The Jacinto dispute over inheritance and family business is one case that has gone out of hand and the feud is in the courts and in bar brawl.
Ramon Jacinto was accused by his younger sister, Marilene, of attempted homicide after an alleged mauling incident in a Makati restaurant.
The Jacinto family here is the family of Ramon Jacinto, the rock and roll musical icon and businessman who got into problems with a government bank over a property at the Buendia stretch in Makati City.
The Jacinto’s money comes from the iron and steel business in Iligan City, the Jacinto Steel Mill. In her complaint-affidavit, Marilene accused RJ and his wife, Frannie, of mauling her after throwing invectives on her after an altercation at a Japanese restaurant in Makati last Nov. 10, 2010.
She said before taking a set, she saw RJ approaching her already shouting invective: “Marilene, p—–ina mo! Papatayin kita.” RJ appeared to be too drunk, forcing her to get out of the restaurant and go to her car.
But before she could reach her car, RJ was able to caught her then punched her at the head, face and hands with closed fists. RJ, according to her, didn’t stop and instead pushed her so hard with his hands that she fell her head first on the cemented street fronting the restaurant.
Lastly, RJ pulled her hair and dragged her for about three meters before his wife who only looked while he was being beaten. “RJ was ruthless and would not have stopped mauling me had my car with my driver not pulled up.
For fears that she sustained serious injuries, Marilene submitted herself to medical examination where doctors at Ospital ng Makati confirmed that she sustained hematoma at the right area of her head and right hand area and buttocks; tenderness at the cheek and jaw and right medial thigh; and abrasions at left foot.
She said that RJ intention was really to kill her based on the following insinuations: repeated verbal threats before and during the mauling, didn’t stop mauling her until her driver intervened, the injuries he inflicted were numerous and severe, she is thin and just survived a stroke but her brother didn’t mind this medical condition.
RJ’s mauling of her younger sister stemmed from tussle over family property which is common among rich clans all over the world.
He alleged in his counter affidavit that it was Marilene who has grudge against him that’s why she filed a complaint more than a year after the mauling incident.
The alleged “crimes” of Marilene, according to RJ, includes falsification of public documents to be able to buy a property from a certain Oregon firm; and for earning P226 million after committing violation of anti-graft and corrupt practices act for defrauding their company, F. Jacinto Group, Inc., via entering a settlement with another company.
RJ maintained that what happened on the night of Nov. 16, 2010 at Seryna restaurant was only verbal tussle urging Marilene to return the assets she embezzled for personal use.
RJ also alleged that if he really mauled his sister, he and his family could have not finished their dinner. Whether RJ is telling the truth or not, siblings’ dispute over family fortune is common all over the world.
Take the case of business magnate brothers Anil Ambani and Mukesh Ambani who had been fighting in court over who will get bigger share in the $8 billion fortune left by their father Dhirubhai Ambani in 2002.
The fortune of Gianni Versace, the late fashion designer, is also a subject of siblings’ rivalry. After his death in 1997, his siblings Santo and Donatella have been slugging it out who will have bigger role in the $3-billion fashion empire left by their elder brother, who was a bachelor when he died.
Although Santo and Donatella haven’t fought in court, their rivalry is very evident as they keep on introducing new line of clothes that are totally distinct from each camp.
The reported mauling by RJ of his sister leaves a bad mark in the music icon’s drive to recover an image damaged by the scandal left on the Makati City property and his fight with a Japanese business partner.
The last heard from the Japanese businessman was he will never again trust a Filipino. It was reported that the Japanese lost almost P1Billion.
Marilene is the first wife of now deceased Rep. Iggie Arroyo. She is the mother of two of the former congressman children.
In the middle of controversy over the death of her husband, Marilene continues to suffer from delayed justice as her case languishes in our justice system.
She has a rock and roll icon in the Philippine music scene for a brother. She was also rocked in the head and rolled in embarrassment, the reason she went to the courts
Myles Garcia said,
March 3, 2012 at 9:21 pm
More on Hadassah Peri’s rags-to-riches story:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2063949/Nurse-Hadassah-Peri-stands-inherit-33-6m-fortune-copper-heiress-Huguette-Clark.html
including 1st time photos of the lucky inheritee!!
Myles Garcia said,
March 1, 2012 at 12:16 am
Speaking of ex-ambassadors, the gofer-brother of La Fabulosa Pomposa one, passed away in Makati Med last week. But his passing has been eclipsed by the long-drawn out saga of Iggy Arroyo’s final return. Shall he? Won’t he? Who’s the Official Widow? Who’s the Official Griever? I mean such tedious drama. The coffin alone is logging more frequent flier miles than most of us can accumulate in a lifetime.
Anyway, back to the more controversial ex-envoy who did have those farcical escapades in ***’s NYC apartment. Well, in his obituary, it was stated that the Leyteno is survived by his wife, his oldest son, Daniel (who is an architect/interior decorator) in New York City, and son’s “…partner, a Michael.” Oh. I was somewhat surprised to see this in print in the official obituary of a supposed leading R.P. political personality; but I guess we’re all very avante these days. But I was not at all surprised to learn that not only has D.R.a spacious flat in NYC + his business, but he owns a compound in Montauk, Long Island (a couple of summer cottages, I guess) and this spread in Beverly Hills featured in Architectural Digest.
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/homes/2012/01/daniel-romualdez-los-angeles-house-article
Shifting gears, some Oscar trivia. So some starlet wore a Monique Lhuillier at last Sunday’s fete; several professional models wore Oliver Tolentino’s ready-to-eat pina dresses. However, this is NOT the first-time that Filipino/a designers crashed the Oscar bash. Who was the first Manila designer to have his work worn at the prestigious event (i.e., the actress walked up to claim her Oscar in his design)? Hint: it was 50 years ago.
Alicia Perez said,
February 26, 2012 at 1:07 am
The Maria Petronila “Cookie” Chanco Syquia – Larsen murder at the prewar, Art Deco-style “Michel” apartments in Malate, Manila.
No, she was not some “DH” ( domestic helper ) married to a Danish man as the newspapers trivialized her to be. She was a “de buena familia” heiress of the very old money Syquia clan.
Alicia Perez
toto gonzalez said,
January 21, 2012 at 8:04 am
21 January: Greetings to Maria Luisa Madrigal de Vazquez on her birthday!!!
Happy “48th” Birthday, Tita Ising!!!
Toto Gonzalez
Larry Leviste said,
January 18, 2012 at 1:38 am
Less has More Impact
Hollywood’s first major awards night for film and television last Monday celebrated celebrity fashion that was truly elegant, which is the refusal of anything over the top. For the 69th Golden Globes it was all about age appropriate, quiet quality, reverse glamor and dare we say comfortable couture that were the terrific trends on the red carpet.
Angelina Jolie with a slash of red on her white sheath by Donatella Versace was top of the list, Nicole Kidman and Selma Hayek wore the new template for discreet Art Deco beadwork. Crimson, all shades of nude and blush plus the return of black were the colors of choice. Chiffon, satin, charmuese, taffeta, gazar, organza and peau de soie were fabrics deftly employed.
The newest jewelry trend were the sparkle plenty headbands worn by Michelle Williams and Charlize Theron. Every shape and color for dangling megawatt earrings were the jewels of choice. Also small clutch bags and statement cuffs with competing big precious stone rings. Hair was back combed and upswept and make-up was 60s movie star style with eyeliner, false eyelashes and pale lips on a sea of beautiful faces.
Suddenly it seemed stars and their stylists have finally nailed the best looks at the Golden Globes night in Hollywood by keeping it minimal yet stunningly singular. It was about a personalized, made-to-measure look and the actors owned it.
Wardrobe winners Clair Danes in J. Mendel, Meryll Streep in Dior, Helen Mirren in Badgeley Mischka wore memorable looks that will be remembered for their seductive simplicity and consideration for comfort that would have them partying the night away after a champagne soaked dinner.
Fashion must follow function. When the dress does not overpower the woman, it becomes memorable. In this spread study the stars in their personalized couture and see how less has more impact.
Larry Leviste said,
January 12, 2012 at 3:25 am
THANK YOU MYLES for the Elizabeth Taylor link, I loved her line, ” We are not owners of these jewels, merely custodians. “
Myles Garcia said,
January 11, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Toto, I know people are starving and their existences are temporarily being diverted by the Ortigas-Bayot scandale (why did it take her 44 years to act?) but I just came across this YouTube clip
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O92PNZlkZv4&feature=fvst [/media]
to share with your discerning readers (particularly Enrique B. and the former Tai-tai). This is the clip showing La Taylor singing “Send in the CLowns” (she is partially dubbed in the last part of the song) but wearing some cheap little bauble to cover that hideous tracheotomy scar of hers. The little bauble, is of course, La Peregrina, which fetched nearly $12 million at last month’s auction of her jewelry.
Enjoy!!