THEN: May 28, 1986 — 24 years ago
At one of the latest rallies in front of the US Embassy, movie personalities Alona Alegre and Elizabeth Oropeza cannot help but draw attention to themselves. Alona had never looked sexier coming on stage, with her breast up in loyalist fashion. She was the picture of a Jane-come-lately in politics, described as a loyalist to the deposed former President trying to be in the center of things while others beat the drums.
It cannot be denied that most of the loyalists in entertainment are hardly the political types who read on Marx or The Statute of Freedom for that matter. Alona is a puzzle for she was not even involved with the Marcoses when they were still here. Elizabeth is with the group because of romantic ties. And that is understandable somehow. She had openly stated that the new man in her life is an Edralin, a relative of you know who. This Edralin guy was with Elizabeth when she was trying to make it in New York. Then he came back when Elizabeth was offered by Viva Films to do a movie here. La Oropeza was active in the campaign for Marcos and there was even that incident in a cockpit where her group of lovely ladies was booed by cockpit aficionados when they tried their Marcos spiel. Anyway, Elizabeth is back in action in the forefront of loyalist rallies, only taking time off once in a while to relax in the air-con suite of the Bayview Hotel which serves as their headquarters.
Then there is singer Imelda Papin. Imelda has been a Marcos die-hard ever since her talent has been channeled to political meetings and she found the former First Lady a generous patron. Imelda feels that she was favored by the Marcos family ever since she started singing for them. She has this story to tell about getting a diamond necklace for her birthday. And how Ma’am would sing along with her up to the wee hours of the morning! She has been treated like family and she says this with tears in her eyes. Anyway, by chance I got a call from Junne Quintana, Imelda’s manager, and I asked about her politics. For starters, he said something like “hindi pa naman kami nakukulong” and I said there is no danger of that since there is new freedom now, at least of expression.
Besides, as Behn Cervantes commented on loyalist activities, “Mabuti sila hindi sila makukulong at masa-salvage sa bagong gobyerno.”
Imelda’s cry is emotional and hardly political. She wants Marcos back because for her he is still the President. How about the hidden wealth issue? To her mind that was black propaganda. Besides why can’t they answer all the charges here?
Then there’s Rio Diaz, partner of Hajji Alejandro and younger sister of Gloria Diaz. Rio has become an added beauty during loyalist rallies. Incidentally, older sister Gloria is with Rio in the middle of loyalist action. She got a lot of media attention being with Namfrel then. But this new controversy seems to give new fire. Gloria thrives on controversy.
Amalia Fuentes’ partner in life, Joey Stevens, was in the limelight during the Marcos years as the presidential golfing crony. Joey was also known as a Cojuangco man until he struck out on his own in the latter years.
There was the Intramuros business that Amalia feels strongly about. Also the fact that Joey was not allowed to travel and some of his assets were on hold. According to Amalia, she has to use her own money for household expenses.
Anyway, Amalia is so disturbed by the Marcos flight and new government sequestration activities that she has given out word that she is selling her properties here, which are sizable, so that she can join daughter Leizl in the US. Amalia has become a new grandma when her daughter Leizl gave birth recently. At the same time she was waiting for her hold order for Joey to be lifted so she can travel with him. But all Joey has to do is present evidence that his money in the banks are his own and not because of his “golfing” with Mr. Marcos.
In the meantime, the loyalists march on, showing that Marcos still has immense resources in the country to make people move to his bidding. The Aquino government has shown leniency and in effect, this has been taken as a sign of weakness. The power play goes on and we are still waiting with trepidation.
NOW: Dec. 29, 2010
Alona has a few more years in the movies after the Marcos era. She was very popular during the bold film era. Last year, I saw Alona, who now lives in a nearby province looking so thin that I hardly recognized her. But the old verve is there and the spirit.
“I’m just taking diet tea,” she told us, to make light of the situation.
Elizabeth first lived abroad when she married Chinese star Meng Fei. After she divorced him, she married again and is now involved in her own religious ministry.
Rio lived with Hajji in Los Angeles where they put up a business. When she came home with Hajji and son Ali, she became active on TV where she developed into a winsome personality. When she got her divorce from Hajji, she married Charlie Cojuangco and lived happily in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental where she became a beloved political leader. Charlie and Rio have two adorable children. She got sick of cancer and died several years ago.
Imelda has become a politician herself. She split with husband Bong Carrion who became governor of Camarines Sur. Imelda tried to run again but this time she lost. She is back in the concert circuit and sometimes sings duets with the Mommy D Pacquiao, mother of you know who.
Amalia split from Joey allegedly over another woman. The court case was a blistering one but Amalia held her own and in fact got support from some women’s group for the way she was treated. Amalia is comfortably rich on her own but she is fighting the case as it is a woman’s right to do so.