Vandolph intact: Harmony in tragedy

Curtain-raisers:

• I never suspected that the pictures of Korina Sanchez and businessman Paul Aquino which came out in Funfare two Mondays ago would create a minor havoc on the love life of Korina. The photos were taken during the blessing of Vivian Sarabia’s Amoeba (an all-around music store) in Libis, Quezon City. The two were holding hands and whispering to each other, all right, according to somebody close to Korina, "but they were only kidding around because everybody was in a joking mood." The truth is that Korina is "committed" to another man whose identity will have to be withheld for the time being.

• Not many people noticed the ironic coincidence the other day, with the two men involved with the late Nida Blanca sharing the front pages. One was Nida’s former lover, Rep. Romy Jalosjos, whose two life sentences (for rape, for which he’s now jailed at the National Penitentiary) have been affirmed by the Supreme Court and the other, Nida’s husband Rod Lauren Strunk, who was being implicated as "mastermind" in the puzzling murder of Nida. A case of life imitating art, isn’t it?

• Correction, please: A story came out a few issues ago about the triple win of Dolphy and sons Eric/Jeffrey Quizon as Best Actors (for Gil M. Portes’ Markova, Comfort Gay) at the Brussels International Film Festival, with a side mention of Albert Martinez and Vilma Santos having won the same honors at the same filmfest, Albert for Rizal sa Dapitan and Vilma for Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa? (also declared Best Picture) and not Anak as the story wrongly mentioned.

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There have been a lot of erroneous reports about Vandolph in the flurry of deadlines – and tsismis – following the near-fatal car accident Monday (Nov. 19) afternoon in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan, while Vandolph and his girlfriend, Desiree Raquiza (from the prominent Raquiza Clan up North), and two other companions (one of them Vandolph’s driver) were on their way to Baguio.

We were at Roadrunner waiting for the start of the preview of Star Cinema’s Bagong Buwan (directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya, topbilled by her signature actor Cesar Montano) when Dolor Guevarra, close friend of the Quizon Family (she being manager of Vandolph’s Kuya Eric Quizon), got a call at about 5:30 p.m. "Ano? Naaksidente si Vandolph? Putol ang paa at kamay?" was all Dolor could say.

Before the evening was over, more reports (erroneous, they turned out to be) poured in, the most shocking of them was about Vandolph’s private member having been cut off by the impact of the collision (with a 10-wheeler truck) that rendered Vandolph’s F-150 a total wreck (twisted like an accordion, from which, according to natives who saved the victms, Vandolph and Desiree were pulled out almost lifeless).

Since Vandolph’s pelvic area (and his extremities) were crushed, Vandolph’s loved ones were naturally worried that his private member might have been, that’s it, cut off. It wasn’t, luckily.

"His doctors checked Vandolph’s private area very early Tuesday (Nov. 20) morning when Vandolph was airlifted to the Makati Med," said Dolor. "Buo naman ang kuwan ni Vandolph."

Vandolph and Desiree (also airlifted to Makati Med from a hospital in Pangasinan) haven’t woken up — yet. Vandolph underwent a six-hour surgery on his pelvic area last Tuesday, with another surgery on his arms and legs schedule anytime soon. The good news is that Vandolph won’t be losing his arm(s) and/or leg(s) as earlier feared and Desiree, initially reported to have died, is fighting for her own life. The two teeners (Vandolph is 17) are schoolmates at Colegio de San Agustin.

"Vandolph has started to slightly move his head kapag kinakausap," said Dolor who, together with Vandolph’s loved ones, has been keeping vigil at the Makati Med. "Desiree is also starting to move very, very slightly. Good sign daw ’yon, sabi ng doctor."

The unfortunate incident has brought Vandolph’s loved ones closer to one another. It was Vandolph’s stepfather, Parañaque City Mayor Joey Marquez, who borrowed from Sen. Johnny Ponce-Enrile the helicopter that flew Vandolph’s biological father, Dolphy, and Vandolph’s stepmother, Zsa Zsa Padilla, to Pozorrubio. They used the same helicopter in airlifting Vandolph to Makati Med where Vandolph’s biological mother, Alma Moreno, was waiting for them after having contacted the specialists for the emergency surgery.

Rudy Fernandez and Lorna Tolentino, Vandolph’s foster parents, also showed up at Makati Med where Dolphy and Zsa Zsa, along with Mayor Joey and Alma, have booked their own rooms near that of Vandolph who has been moved there from the ICU. Vandolph’s brothers (Jeffrey and other Quizons, aside from Eric), including stepbrother Mark Anthony Fernandez (Alma’s love son by Rudy Fernandez), have been watching over him.

That’s harmony in tragedy for you, unity in the face of adversity.

Neither Alma nor Mayor Joey, nor Dolphy/Zsa Zsa for that matter, were aware that Vandolph and company were headed for Baguio. All they knew was that Vandolph –and Desiree who, again contrary to some reports, is not the same girl who gave birth last year to Vandolph’s love child – were in school. When Vandolph and his driver left home, recalled Dolor, "Alma even reminded them to be careful with the car since Alma was selling it and using the money to buy a new one. The only strange thing Alma noticed about Vandolph was that, before boarding the car, Vandolph came back and said ‘I love you’ after he kissed Alma goodbye." (Alma is suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and she had to be sedated to cope with the situation).

The accident is the latest in a string of tragedies that has been hitting showbiz since last September when Ricky Belmonte died, followed by Eddie Rodriguez, Rey Ventura, movie reporters Robert Perez (killed by still unidentified suspects) and Rey Canete, and then the Nida Blanca murder.

At Nida’s funeral mass Wednesday last week, a tearful Dolphy lamented, "Lahat ng malalapit sa akin ay isa-isang nawawala," mentioning comedians Teroy de Guzman, Panchito and Babalu among them. He never knew that, only a few days later, tragedy would strike his own family.