The three little Indians

Well, it happened. But nobody was surprised, the way things were going between the United Nationalist Alliance and the Three Little Indians that they had adopted, despite knowing that they already belonged to the other party. After smouldering from the alleged “snubs” they were getting from the three senatorial bets, who didn’t deign to come to any of their rallies, the UNA announced that they were dropping them from their ranks.

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But will the three mind? Senators Loren Legarda and Chiz Escudero, and newcomer Grace Poe Llmanzares, would not be bothered by this development, all of them aware that they had more to give the UNA than vice versa. Surveys have shown them safely ensconced in the top places, so all they needed to get to the victory line was to file their certificates of candidacy. That is a reality that the UNA must have already realized.

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Well, Bacolod and several other places in Negros Occidental will get a chance to see and hear the candidates of the so-called Team Pinoy, the ones the Liberal Party headed by President himself have picked for its slate. Note, though, that not all of them belong to the LP, they, too, come from other political groupings, with some even independent. By the way, the group we will see and hear in Bacolod today is referred to as Team Pinoy. What do they call the UNA group? Is it Team Binay? The local Church has its own senatorial teams, depending on how they voted in the controversial Bill RH Bill. It calls them the Team Patay and Team Buhay. Choose your pick.

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When one looks at the slates of the leading parties in the coming election, one cannot help noting that they are both harboring bets from various groups. Unlike before when the one has to be a true Liberal or a true Nacionalista to be included in the party slate, we now see a motley grouping from different persuasion. One wonders if the time will come when candidates will all be running on their own, and seeking public support individually without having to join a party. Will that be better or worse for the country?

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Meanwhile, her friends and relatives here will surely miss Tita Fe Villanueva when she leaves on Sunday to return to Riverside, California where she has been staying for several years now with her daughter, Paula, and her husband Gerry Gustilo, and their three strapping sons. Since she arrived in Bacolod early this month, she has been visited and feted by her many friends, as well as her children who are still residing here.

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Among those who really enjoyed her company during her stay were our friends Ivy Visitacion and Buddai Piccio who love listening to her stories about her World War II experiences and the suitors who had sought her hand, until she met her beloved Pepe Villanueva with whom she had 12 children, all successful in their various concerns now. But I think she enjoyed most having her dream of meeting and having a picture with her idol, Manny Pacquiao come true. And thanks to her “adopted” son, Mayor Bing, whom she spoils whenever he stays with them in California, she did not only have a photo with Manny, she had one with only two of them!

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Also in town, but only for a brief visit that left her many admirers and loving friends here breathless, was Norma Bitanga Regidor who came this time with her ever supportive and understanding spouse, Tony, and their daughter, Agnes, now a retired officer of the United States Air Force. Both Norma and Tony who are now retired, spend their time on their “apostolate”, meaning, pampering their “apos”, or grandchildren from their three boys Tonet, Huey and Francis.

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Although she now hardly leaves her room, much less her house at the huge Lizares compound, Laura Araneta Lizares, is still very up-to-date on happenings and keeps in touch with her friends, especially those in the religious community who give her a lot of consolation with their prayers. Recently, her children celebrated her birthday with a mass said by a Marian priest at her home and a sumptuous dinner later for her kin, classmate and close friends like Tita Cosette Golez and Loving Gonzaga, who all rejoiced in her company and prayed for her continued good health, as well as her late beloved Tex, who departed years ago, but is still missed badly. For us, her old friends, it was still a pleasure to see that being somewhat disabled has not deprived her for her simpatica morena beauty. Keep it up, dear Laurita!*

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