The Solomonic way for Iggy?

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so we have an excuse to be a little mushy until it’s over. So, at the risk of sounding like a tabloid writer, or maybe even a stalker, I will share a romantic titbit that I gleaned while having lunch at the classy L’Opera resto at the Global City yesterday.

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It was the last day of our brief trip to Manila for the graduation of my niece, Kara, daughter of Bing and Elsa, so my old and dearest friends Jake and Fely Vergara, with their sister Lorna Evidente, home for a visit from California, treated us to a sort of celebration. It was a happy gathering with my sister Perla, Bing L and Elsa and, of course, the new graduate, when my newshen’s antennae started tingling.

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It was because we got to talk with somebody who was at L’Opera the night before, Saturday, who saw dining cozily the most-talked about potential love-team of the moment. Who else but the bachelor president of the country, with his current “crush”, the now popular Grace Lee. My highly reliable source said there were other people with them, but the two looked, well, very happy in each other’s company.

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Ah, my source must have come quite near their table because she remembered even the details of what they had for dinner: Ozzobuco, salad, pasta, and tea! Were they lovey-dovey? Not exactly, said my source, but it seemed obvious that love was in the air. Is she really pretty? Yes, said my source, very fair and attractive. How long did they stay? Aba, almost three hours. My, Noynoy must have skipped some homework just to have that dinner. Anyway, yesterday I tried to look at all the gossip columns I could get hold of, but didn’t see any mention of that rendezvous at L’Opera on Saturday. Was that a scoop for the promdi media?

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I thought the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines decided to keep its hands off the impeachment case against Chief Justice Renato Corona? The news item yesterday saying that the CBCP head wants the Senate impeachment court to respect the order of the Supreme Court that Corona heads to stop the Senators from poking into his dollar, or foreign currency deposits, seems show that they have changed their minds. But should the Senate-Court listen to them? Admittedly I have not scrutinized the rules governing such a special court, but it would be strange if it turns out to be UNDER the Supreme Court, after all. Being the only body that can try members of the High Court, wouldn’t it be strange if it is, after all, subject to them?

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By the way, I’m sure many others who are following closely the progress of the momentous impeachment case, the first for a Chief Justice in this country, must have noted how confidently Corona had been daring those claiming he had 45 real estate properties to find them and he would give it to them. Now that the prosecution is poking into bank deposits, especially those in foreign currency, he is no longer saying he will give it to them – if they can find it. A picture of Corona shedding tears supposedly because he was touched by the crowd of his supporters, made me feel apprehensive that those people may also turn their backs on him if the prosecution succeeds. It happened even to Jesus Christ, you know. The same crowd who greeted him with palms and cries, was calling for his crucifixion a few days after.

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Now I truly sympathize with the late Congressman Iggy Arroyo. What is happening is that the man, who had expressly wished to come home, cannot even do so even if he is dead, because of the tug of war for his remains between two women. If the latest report is true, that a case has been filed in a London court to decide on who gets the body, with the first hearing set February 20 yet, somebody should propose a Solomonic decision: Cremate the body, and split the ashes between the two.

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I’m so embarrassed. Reader Rolando Mijares pointed out that I had written that Myanmar’s former name was Borneo. After I have written about this name change from “Burma” so many times in the past! Maybe I could say that the fact that I had to rush three columns for Thursday, Friday and Saturday – all on Wednesday night before leaving for Manila had befuddled me. Sorry, so sorry…*

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