Malacanang lacks an “official line” on its Chief’s lovelife because, according to Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Manolo Quezon, the “matter” is “too personal.” The Media, as it is inclined to do, of course does not agree. So armed with a small text input field with the word “Google” splashed in colour above it on my browser, doing a stocktake of how the Philippines’ top bachelor President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has so far scored in the dating scene was a walk in the park…
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16 May 2011 – Bunny Calica: Spotted with the President at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati during a reunion concert by the Filipino band the Hotdog. According to “media reports” she is a Boeing executive’s daughter and a teacher “working with Korean students.” A tweet issued by former Presidential squeeze Shalani Soledad shortly after the reported “date” which read “Jealousy is normal. What you have to do is to make it into your positive motivation, so it won’t destroy you” has been interpretted to have been made in reference to Calica.
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29 Nov 2010 – Len Lopez: Spotted with Aquino on a “date” (and reportedly another three times). According to “sources” she is employed by Deutche Bank, a 1992 graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University, and high school graduate of St Scholastica’s College in Bacolod. Reportedly a member of the Lopez clan. The dating was “confirmed” on 20 Dec 2010 by Presidential sister Kris Aquino herself.
11 Nov 2010 – Liz Uy: Reported to have been “dating in various places,” the “celebrity stylist” and former girlfriend of a certain John Lloyd Cruz got a big laugh out of the rumours which included one about an 11th October 2010 wedding that even then Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon “Ricky†Carandang supposedly had no knowledge of.
13 Oct 2010 – Barbie Palagos: Reportedly spotted on a “date” with Aquino at Nuvo Restaurant and Wine Bar in Greenbelt, 9 October 2010. According to some reports, the woman with Aquino in the restaurant “answered to the name ‘Barbie Palagos’.” A Davao woman going by the name “Barbie Palagos” was also found on Facebook and in it lists her political views as “Yellow.” There have also been some reports that it was really a certain “Barby Paragas” who was actually seen with Aquino and not Palagos as was orginally rumoured.
07 Oct 2010 – Patricia Ann Roque: At the time, reportedly Aquino’s “new crush” was rumoured to be the reason behind the Presidential split with former flame Valenzuela councilor Shalani Soledad (now in bed — in a strictly business sense — with former Wowowee front man Willie Revillame). Aquino later denied allegations of any romantic ties with the former “child superstar,” Eat Bulaga child Beauty Queen, and now TV5 “journalist.”
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And before all of the above and Shalani Soledad, there was reportedly Bernadette Sembrano and Korina Sanchez among others. What a guy. As the modern-day philosopher Mel Brooks say: It’s good to be the king.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
butch abad, ang galing galing gumawa ng fiction.
My God, who cares? Is Get Real now becoming paparazzi, gadding about panting like Gloria chasing Obama, seeking gossipy thrills? Privacy is private and slopping this stuff across the intellectual landscape is not a high road.
See, the thing people often misinterpret about me, Joe, is that I am here to take some sort of “high road” on any matter. The reason I don’t presume to (and, consequently, don’t expect to be seen to be doing so) is that there is no absolute definition of what a “high road” is supposed to be to begin with. And that there is none such certainly is most relevant in a country where “high roads” have so often been used as fodder for the election campaigns of politicians and the choice of content broadcast by the Media. That’s the field of Hypocrisy 101, Joe. And you of all people being an avid foreign student of Pinoy hypocrisy should be in the best position to appreciate.
so, joe, at least he’s honest. not only has he copped to judging people via generalizations, but now he’s a avowed follower of the low road. yey!
of course, if there are no absolute definitions, you get to do whatever you want. yey, logic!
What makes you think I am an “avowed follower of the low road”, GabbyD?
This is what you call marketing, folks. If these kinds of articles can draw in all the celebrity obsessed Pinoys to GRPost, then that is a win for us. Because the next thing they’ll do if they don’t immediately log out of the site is to read the other more important articles, which could help enlighten them.
It’s simple, really 😉
Now that is a viewpoint that I can appreciate. But it smacks of, ummm, is it irony? . . . to decry the vacuuity of the Filipino population, and then to jump right in with titillation about the babes of Mr. A. Not that you will ever catch ME reading people’s magazine at the dentist’s office, oh, no. Or my wife’s Cosmopolitan, sexier than Playboy . . .
it’s Pnoy who’s publicizing his love lies err lifes, despite requesting the media to respect his private life. What a moron.
I have myself been in bit of warping with women not really known to me, just sitting along same bench aboard a liner can be mine as in the grapevine. I say yes to privacy, I think that people should have as much of freedom to be themselves even if they are presidents. But of course, benign0 merely is allowing us some windows of fun I know can be entertaining. I see no wrong in them actually, but really I’d be just as ecstatic having dates just like the girls lined up for Noynoy, it’s his luck. Well, good luck girls!
Isn’t variety the spice of life?
Benig0 is just flexing his literary muscles and branching out lest he be pigeon-holed as a one-trick pony writing one grumpy political commentary after another 🙂
But dont quit your day job Mr. Benign0, I dont quite picture you as the gossip columnist.
So what other genre should he dip his toes into next? Do satire! Or speculative fiction (what would Noy’s “royal wedding” be like, haha)