FIRST, people are talking about...
* JUSTICE FAITH. Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg from Cebu is a member of the First Division that is deadlocked on the Bong Revilla case of plunder. Since the votes of the three are not unanimous, two associate justices from other division/s are brought in to break the stalemate. The expanded division is scheduled to decide on December 7 (Friday). Econg favored Representative Gwen Garcia in the vote on the Cebu congresswoman's case. It's not known yet if Faith voted for Revilla.
* NUMBERS. The inflation was down to 6.0 percent in November but it was 5.7 percent in July and may go up again in December and in January. Meanwhile, the second round of fuel excise tax will go on as scheduled, the president and his Cabinet decided. There's no stopping of the Train Law.
Possible Panelo mediation
When Cebu City Hall watchers saw Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo in the published photo with Maria Victoria "Minnie" Osmeña during the December 4 groundbreaking ceremony at the proposed City Skate Park at the back of Fort San Pedro, the question in their mind was: Would Panelo help in settling the quarrel between her brother Mayor Tomas Osmeña and the president?
Maybe not to kiss and make up, figuratively, but to stop the verbal attacks of President Duterte on Tomas, especially now during the campaign season.
People remember that Minnie and Panelo are friends. Minnie might persuade the spokesman to bring Duterte and Tomas together and have the meeting that the president said had not taken place.
Stories about her
Minnie Osmeña reportedly donated US $100,000 (about P5.27 million) for the skating park. Her visit was timed or coincided with the 102nd birth anniversary of her dad, Serging Osmeña Jr., Tuesday (December 4). She attended mass at Serging's statue at Plaza Independencia.
Her last appearances in local news were (1) when her name was linked to the donation/sale of two police cars for which Mayor Tomas Osmeña faced a complaint before the ombudsman, and (2) when she was rumored to be President Duterte's tourism secretary.
On the first, she was supposed to have bought the cars from the foreigner donor. On the second, it was not Minnie but Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo who was appointed.
Scandal abroad
Abroad, stories that involved Minnie and also rocked Manila and Cebu included (a) her marriage to Carnation Co. heir Dwight Lyman Stuart in 1982, but they were divorced a few years later (just as her marriage earlier to Joselito Jacinto had been annulled), and (b) the slashing incident in 1991 at Primavera Restaurant in Aspen Lodge Club, Aspen, Colorado, in which she suffered 37 stitches on her face during an attack by one of Indonesian president Sukarno's wives, Ratna Sari Dewi Sukarno.
The attack happened at a party attended by, among others, Ivana Trump (Donald's wife before Ivanka), Barbra Streisand and George Hamilton. Dewi was sentenced to 60 days in jail and six months probation.
Minnie and Dewi had been at odds with each other before that. At the party, Minnie allegedly called Dewi a whore, prompting Sukarno to slash Minnie with a broken battle. A two-inch shard of glass was removed from her face.
Ready to help
Minnie has always been ready to help her sibling Tomas in his political fights. In 2009, she went the rounds of barangays and met with her brod's leaders. (In 2010 though, Tomas supported Mike Rama, breaking up with only during the term and faced Rama in 2013; Tomas lost but beat him in 2016).
The skating project obviously will earn votes for the mayor who seeks reelection against Vice Mayor Edgar Labella next year.
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