Rigodon in the Palace
RETINUE OF WOMEN: KITCHEN CABINET STORIES
When Joseph Estrada came to power, Jose “Pepe” Z. Oledan, an Upsilonian and best friend to Cosme Garcia, brother of former President Carlos P. Garcia, became the country’s ambassador to Spain.
Seen dancing in Malacañang during the inaugural reception in 1998 was the couple Oledan --- she, Tita Liding to many who, in this part of the world, was known as the empress of the gem brigade; and he, Tito Pepe to many, the most gallant and suave dancing partner of Imeldific from the mid-1960s to the last days of the regime, with a brief interval occasioned by moods in the palace.
From the magnifico of the Malacañang ballroom to the dashing ambassador presenting his credentials to the king and queen of Spain was long time in coming for someone who turned out to be an excellent diplomat.
Before him would be Vicky Quirino’s first husband, Luis Gonzalez; Manuel “Neling” Nieto Jr. whose father was aide-de-camp to Quezon; and Johnny Rocha, who was Conchita Sunico’s ally in supporting the Manila Symphony Orchestra, and right after him, Isabel Caro Wilson whose husband, then bachelor Claude, used to tend the bar for Tita Conching’s charity shindigs and costume balls.
We have come this far, and what for is this exercise in name-dropping? Today, young and not so young people meet friends through the Internet, first by becoming a member of Facebook, a social media site that connects one to names and everything that comes with each of those names, vital information, that is. When one fills out one’s bio for others to see and appraise, one’s civil status is asked, whether it is single, married or, given the times, “in a relationship.” The fourth choice, which simply says “it’s complicated,” somehow describes the dynamics of Philippine high society, vis-à-vis political affiliation.
It happens that there is no such thing as “turncoatism” anymore, when it used to be that one could not change political parties within a period of time before or after an election. It’s almost like the Rigodon de Honor, the favorite quadrille of Philippine high society, except that there is more order in this “walky” dance, and one knows which partner he or she eventually ends up with. In fact, for all the crisscrossing and the round-about chain, one ends up with the same lady or gentleman. Not so in Philippine politics where allies lose one another, go back into each other’s arms, say goodbye and come back again, until the next election comes along.
The same may be said of the society women (and men, too) who hover around the presence of the presidential couple. They are, of course, to be differentiated from the politicians themselves, or the political appointees, as many Filipinos have made a career of getting the juiciest posts in various political administrations, although, now and then, a socialite gets to be appointed, too.
We are talking here of the ladies and gentlemen who, come party time in Malacañang, are the ones who boogie and make up the cabizera in the Rigodon de Honor. There is nothing wrong with being a friend to the first couple, or to the First Lady in the usual sense of a friend. Tongues start to wag, of course, when one exceeds one’s bounds and starts peddling influence or bagging juicy contracts or smuggling or stashing dollars in Switzerland. I must admit I cannot say anything of that sort of the men and women I have mentioned here. (TO BE CONTINUED.)