Regal Baby No. 14

Curtain-raiser:

Could it be true that the actor embroiled in a domestic problem has no intention of going back home to his actress-wife and their children? Is it why he has just bought a unit at a posh condo where a few other celebrities live?

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Sorry but I missed some of Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde’s children out of wedlock (mga anak sa labas) in yesterday’s list that included 13 senators and senatoriables (excluding Pres. Noynoy “P-Noy” Aquino and reelectionist Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte), namely Senators Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero, Gringo Honasan, Antonio Trillanes, Koko Pimentel, Dick Gordon and Alan Peter Cayetano; and senatoriables Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, Cynthia Villar, Jack Enrile, Risa Hontiveros and Bam Aquino.

One more senatoriable turned up yesterday at one of the regular presscons hosted by Mother Lily at her own Imperial Palace Suites (IPS, Timog-Morato Rotonda, Quezon City) and he’s none other than Aurora Province Rep. Sonny Angara, turning 41 on July 15, accompanied by his wife Tootsie (on leave from her work at the ABS-CBN advertising department) and his father Sen. Ed Angara.

I was surprised to discover that Sonny, like Tootsie, speaks Chinese (Fookien and Mandarin) because he had his early education at Xavier.

Sen. Ed offered Funfare this tidbit about Sonny: “JFK and Sonny have something in common…they both studied at Harvard Law School and London School of Economics. JFK went to Harvard first then LSE while Sonny did in reverse. But Sonny has an edge over JFK. He graduated from UP (College of Law) and JFK did not.”

Asked why she has adopted Sonny (Regal Baby No. 14), Mother Lily shared the following prepared reply distributed among the movie press:

 I would like to start this speech by calling this day magara. Ang gara-gara!

Why? Because I am throwing my support behind a man whose exceptional credentials and outstanding track record can very well be described as such, magara.

Like his father, Edgardo Angara, whom I also supported in the past, Sonny is a hard-working, dedicated and competent public servant.

Educated in the best schools here and abroad, he translated nine years as Aurora congressman into incomparable legislative work and projects not only for his district but for the entire country as well.

You must remember that I used to run a pre-school beside the Regal Valencia office.

Education, for me, is of utmost importance and so I say today that I share in Sonny’s vision of instituting reforms and making education accessible to more Filipinos, especially the indigent ones.

It’s also noteworthy to say that his work in Congress did not stop there.

Sonny has equally penned numerous bills and laws on good governance, health, tourism, environment, women and children’s rights, taxation and other economic reforms.

In my decades of experience as a producer, I can say that I’m a good judge of character.

I know a qualified candidate when I see one and Sonny is definitely one of them.

Given a chance to win a seat in the Senate, Sonny I’m sure would continue or even surpass the exemplary performance of his dad as a legislator.

And so, I ask you, my dear showbiz press, to help me bring Sonny to the Senate. I assure you, he is worth it.

Magarang hapon sa inyong lahat!

Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and wife, Councilor Cristina ‘Kring-Kring’ Gonzales: Their performance speaks for them

Mayor Alfred and wife Cristina doing good job

On the way from the Tacloban airport to the downtown hotel where Raoul Tidalgo and I, together with my niece Girlie and her son Noynoy, were booked, the taxi driver volunteered information about the city’s mayor, Alfred Romualdez, and his wife, topnotcher Councilor Cristina “Kring-Kring” Gonzales when he heard us commenting aloud how clean the city streets are and how peaceful the city looked.

“It’s because Mayor Alfred is doing a good job,” said the driver in Waray. “Kaya maayos ang syudad namin.”

The driver said it all.

Mayor Alfred is into his third term and we wondered if he would aim for a higher position. Mayor Alfred only smiled when we asked him about it during a courtesy call at his house near a beach facing the Pacific Ocean.

“I just focus on my work and let my performance speak for itself,” said Mayor Alfred.

Kring-Kring is likewise doing a good job. Besides managing a well-appointed spa at an ancestral Romualdez building in downtown Tacloban, Kring-Kring is concentrated on several projects including a house for abused women, something close to her heart because she happens to have a relative who is abused. But still, she and Mayor Alfred never fail to spend quality time with their children.

Incidentally, could it be true that Alfred’s son (from a previous relationship) is the steady date of actress Gwen Zamora (who is reportedly well-liked by Taclobanons)?

Both flawless, Kring-Kring and Gwen could pass for sisters, no kidding!

What’s up?

 Reelectionist Congressman Angelo Palmones (photo) of Agham Party List is one media person who’s making a good record in politics. No. 95 in the ballot, Palmones has authored more than 200 bills addressing various issues about science and technology, environment and natural resources, agriculture, energy and humanitarian services. Six of those have passed third reading in the House and one of them, the Risk Reduction & Preparedness Equipment Protection Act of 2012 (RA 10344), is now a law.

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