And now comes Sister Flory

Congressman Iggy Arroyo’s mortal remains have finally been laid to rest. But “rest” will still be elusive for those he left behind, especially the two women who had been wrangling over the right to his remains, initially, and then up to the privileges of presiding at his interment. Reports say that the flag that had been draped over his coffin, was presented to his still legal wife, Alicia, or Alelu.

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And now we again wait for the succeeding chapters of this serial, when court cases are filed and hearings are held, particularly, over the controversial will where, it is said, the “other woman” Grace Ibuna, will be very well protected and provided for throughout her life. And Aleli has a hotshot lawyer, who is also known for her successes in cases involving marriages and couples. Will the hearings also be covered by TV, just like the impeachment hearings for Chief Justice Renato Corona?

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Oh what a tangled web, indeed, has been woven over the wealth left to the in-laws of the chief justice. Not only has some of his wife’s relatives surfaced to belie claims that the money discovered in Corona’s deposits or mentioned in his statement of assets and liabilities and net worth had come from the family corporation, but also to reveal how they had been treated by the Corona couple as far as their inheritance from their mother was concerned.

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Now it has gotten to the point that even a religious sister, a 90-year-old nun from the St. Joseph Convent in Cavite, who, I believe is already retired, but still within the folds of her order, has consented to be interviewed on the matter. What Sister Flory has to say is shocking, indeed, because, from it, one would conclude that she and her siblings had all been “victims”, and the perpetrators are supposed to be God-fearing people of the highest integrity.

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Now that Corona is going all over the place, especially the media, doing his counter-attack, people have also began noticing more and more about him, his appearance, his body language, etcetera. One asked me to watch his eyes.Have you ever seen him looking directly at the eyes of those he is talking with? Well, I said, I have never seen him in person nor have I seen him interact with anybody, so I wouldn’t know that. But he does seem shifty-eyed, I dared say. Another asked me to observe his face (gosh!). She said it does seem thicker than anybody else’s. We laughed at that, not daring to think of how that will translate to Tagalog.

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By the way, I read somewhere recently that if the Chief Justice had made some errors in filing his SALN, it could be that, being a lawyer, he is not expected to be as accurate and precise about it as an accountant. And now here comes columnist Johnny Mercado pointing out that Corona used to be a tax lawyer for the prestigious accounting firm, Sycip, Gorres and Velayo, and that he also specialized in the regulation of corporations and financial institutions. Aha! As the Japanese would say it, Su des ka.

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In case the Bureau of Internal Revenue chief does not know it, someone should also tell her that Mercado also says the Chief Justice used to write a tax column in the Manila Chronicle. One can’t doubt Johnny’s facts, he is one media stalwart who keeps abreast with all the happenings in the Philippine journalism world. Are you still surprised how Corona came to those instant decisions to pull out his deposits from the Philippine Savings Bank as soon as the impeachment against him was approved by the House of Representatives? Just between us and the doorknob, is it true that he also redeposited it back in PSB after the fuss died down?

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Oh my! Another Filipino-American girl is among the topnotchers in the popular TV show, American Idol. And if the judges will be the only ones to choose, there isn’t any doubt that they will pick Jennifer Sanchez, 16, who is the only singer in contention for whom they have continuously given a standing ovation. The problem is that the finalists will be determined by online votes of the TV audience, so her chances are a bit blurred as of now. Will she duplicate the feat of Charice, who was able to get the sympathy and backing of some of America’s most powerful and influential media icons? By the way, Charice has changed her appearance so much, she is now barely recognizable. Has showbiz changed her that much? What a pity.*

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