It was just and sensible of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to order the suspension of the Department of Justice officials implicated in the aborted release of the Alabang Boys. It would be a miscarriage of justice if lawyer Felisberto Verano were to be disbarred for drafting the release letter on Department of Justice stationery, while Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor is not meted out disciplinary action for facilitating its transmittal to the justice secretary. Lawyers will always do everything to facilitate things for clients and in fact some big law firms have achieved notoriety for doing far worse things than what Verano did. But Blancaflor was aware something wrong was happening in the DOJ but did little to stop it. As for the prosecutors, they should be eager to clear their names of the grave charge of bribery. It is time to overhaul the justice system.
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For Filipinos the super-long Christmas season that liturgically closes with the baptism of Jesus is always hectic because of the endless social and family gatherings. But for many extended families, it assumes a dizzying pace as folks arrive from around the world. In our case, they came from all over the United States and Asia and as far as South Africa, with some coming to visit ailing relatives. My husband’s clan reunion is always held on Christmas Eve at the residence of my sister-in-law Norma Yuhum Cunanan-Ong, while the Olivareses have theirs on Christmas evening at the residence of my sister-in-law Ninez Cacho Olivares, who always turns out a perfect turkey and paella dinner with lots of home-made cakes. The smaller Cunanan clan is more manageable compared to the Olivareses who agree every Christmas to do away with the traditional gift-giving as more additions come, but the eager faces of little kids waiting for their names to be called make us forget it soon enough.
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New Year’s Eve finds my family hopping from the Cunanan clan gathered at lawyer Benito Bengzon’s residence, where an amateur family band and kris kringle kept everyone awake this year, to the Olivares clan gathered at the home of my brother-in-law, Oscar Caluag, where a New Year’s Mass was officiated by Fr. Tito Caluag, followed by bingo games and dancing till 2 a.m. After attending the conference on climate change in Poland earlier last month, I campaigned among both clans to desist from polluting the air with firecrackers, but my words fell on deaf ears. Luckily nature helped. A light rain all evening dampened much of the enthusiasm for the firecrackers, many of which also failed to explode. New Year’s Eve was raucous and tiring, but there is nothing like being with family, and our thoughts raced to OFW families whose offspring must have been feeling lonely.
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The season also produced various rites of passage. We attended the debut of Dominique Katrina Bala, daughter of our good friends, Social Welfare Undersecretary Alice Bala and Col. Rene Bala, chief of Philippine National Oil Co.’s research and development department, at Annabel’s gardens on Tomas Morato Avenue in Quezon City. It had been ages since I attended a debut and it was fun watching the shy young lady squirm from all the advice on getting ahead in life.
Weddings of relatives and friends’ children added to the season’s excitement. Ana Maloles Chanco, the pretty daughter of my US-based cousin Arlene and her husband Louie Chanco (of the prominent family that includes Star business columnist Boo Chanco), married Paul Febre at San Agustin Church, with a fun reception at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza ballroom hosted by two live-wire guys.
Jojo Valdez, the architect-son of University of the East law dean Amado Valdez and wife Nelly Natividad Valdez, whose poetic skills in Filipino make all suspect that she is a descendant of Balagtas, married Dr. Wendy Sarmiento in a beautiful wedding at the lush Fernwood in Quezon City, marked by a lot of hip-hop and camaraderie. Former political rivals Joseph Estrada and Jose de Venecia, close friends of the Valdezes, graced the occasion, but it was left to Gina de Venecia to impart the ultimate romance and some wisdom to the newlyweds. Said Gina: I believe in destiny, and unlike singer David Pomeranz, who thinks it is magic that brings people together, I believe that in this world full of strangers, God had Jojo in mind when he created that someone Wendy can chase rainbows with. So, Jojo and Wendy, reach for your dreams together, share the joys of parenting, and in your old age rediscover each other and fall in love all over again. Her counsel drew a hearty ovation from the two politicians.
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The third wedding tied Maria Antonia Maoi Arroyo, daughter of Sen. Joker Arroyo and Odelia Gregorio Arroyo, to her beau of eight years, Clifton James Sawit, at Santuario de San Antonio, followed by an elegant reception at the Harbor Garden Tent of Sofitel, punctiliously supervised by the bride’s mother. Nowadays church doors are shut when the bride arrives, so she can make a dramatic entrance when they are flung open. Senator Arroyo stood all by himself behind the massive doors as he waited for his daughter to enter, looking pensive. Many welcomed the fact that despite his being a senior member of the Senate, he invited only two politicians, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay and Rep. Teddy Boy Locsin, who were associated with him since martial law days.
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A “pahabol” [last-minute] blessing of this Christmas season: Our daughter Christine, publisher of TraveLife Magazine, gave birth to a healthy 7-lb baby girl on Monday, whom the proud father, Japanese investment banker Keiichi Miki, named Támako, which means Precious Child, or Tammy, for short. Christine added Angela as a second name and they asked us excited first-time grandparents to choose a third name and we gave Therese, in honor of St. Therese of Lisieux.
