Looks like the ambitions of socialite Emily Relucio-Lopez, former governor of Guimaras, to be “ambassador” would have to wait a little longer. Gloria Arroyo has extended the term of Philippe Lhuillier as ambassador to Italy.
We know that Lhuillier, after failing to get France, has lobbied to stay in Rome. Looks like his powerful Cebu clout has done it again for him.
But, he has already been granted an agrément by Argentina. What happens now?
If he has been retained for Italy for another term, the Philippines has to withdraw his nomination to Argentina and send someone else there. Would Relucio-Lopez settle for Buenos Aires’ beef instead of Rome and Milan’s fashion?
Lopez’s confirmation is being blocked by Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, whose wife Bettina Mejia-Lopez, is the daughter of Albertito Lopez, whom Emily presents as her “husband”.
There were also maltreatment complaints from teachers whom Lopez employed as maids.
Confirmed were Willy Gaa as ambassador to Washington D.C and Noel Cabrera, ambassador to Myanmar.
The never ending in-fighting and bickerings for an envoy post to one of the more “prestigious” capitals in the world are a reflection of the inability of Gloria Arroyo and her government to properly govern.
Ellen,
I thought I saw a post on “Little Mike thinks Big Mike’s lawsuits won’t prosper”, or something of the sort…
Then it disappeared. Did you pull it out?
Ellen,
Is Emily Lopez a career diplomat?
Yes, Anna, I have not retrieved yet the updated list of signatories to the NUJP statement that is supposed to go with the story.
Later, I’ll re-post it.
Re Emily Lopez, no, she’s not a foreign service career officer. She was a model (Emily Relucio), then became governor og Guimaras as “wife” of Albertito Lopez, son of the late Vice President Fernando Lopez.
Albertito’s marriage to Chona Mejia, mother of Bettina Lopez-Osmeña, has never been annulled and there’s is no divorce in the Philippines. What then do you make of Emily presenting herself as “Mrs. Lopez”? And she would be our ambassador!
Emily and Albertito’s daughter is Celine Lopez, socialite and fashion arbiter who writes a lifestyle column for the Philippine Star.
Am curious, what are Emily “Lopez”‘s qualifications for the post? Also, how is Gloria (and her govenrment) going to introduce Emily’s “marriage” to the Italian foreign affairs?
There seems to be a clear cut case of “bigamy” here…
Ellen,
Another post up for grabs is the envoy post to the Netherlands.
I’ve been told that our current envoy there is quite ill with cancer and seems to be spending his time more away from his posting than “on” the post. Any truth to the this?
Ellen,
The Emily Lopez “marriage” reminds me of the Loren Legarda-Tony Leviste “marriage”.
Tony first marriage has not been annuled I was told. Anyway, Loren and Tony have split recently. Loren, I heard is occupying Tony’s Forbes Park property. Apparently, if anything happened to Tony, who’s past 70, there will be infightings too between the Loren “Leviste” clan and the real family of Tony’s first wife with whom he has children.
If there’s been NO marriage annulment, HOW on earth could a public figure CLAIM “marriage” to a person or call herself or himself “married” to so and so? It’s rather hypocritical, isn’t it? She’d be hard put to call on Pope Benedict and to introduce Albertito Lopez as her husband when the latter’s real wife is still there, alive and kicking, still very much married to Albertito.
Emily “Lopez” might as well stick to her original name and be done with it – Emily Relucio.
By the way, Ellen, this is off topic…
I met with a small group of Chinese Pinoys over the weekend.
One of them is directly related to a member of the “smuggling” syndicate operating in the Bureau of Customs. They told me a few things about how Fatso has really cornered this industry.
Very interesting…
kapag nag google ka ng “Chona Mejia Lopez”
Famous Kapampangans
Chona Lazatin Mejia Lopez. One of the most successful Filipino women on the US West Coast. Chona is an investment broker with a major American firm. Like a few other Filipino women on Wall Street, she has crashed the male-dominated financial world. For the past several years, Chona has been a top-rate financial adviser at Prudential Securities, San Francisco, California branch. She has the distinction of being the first woman president in the 20-year history of the Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco.
[Source: Profiles in Excellence — Filipino Achievers in the USA and Canada (Crisostomo, 1996)]. (Christina Mejia).
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malupit pala to!
I didn’t know she is that successful.
Anna, that’s how hypocritical Philippine’s social set is.
Re Amb. Arguelles, he has long retired as a career officer. He is now classified as “political” but like a few others, he is violator of the Foreign Service Act.
Re Loren’s Forbes Park home (it’s on Cambridge st.) It used to be the residence of Leah Navarro’s grandmother, Doña Masay Yulo. But when Doña Masay died, it reverted to the Yulo estate and Loren and Tony Leviste bought it.
Except for a banyan tree,which they wisely retained, it’s a whole new house. It’s beautiful. It’s a resort type. The doors are from Morocco. Huge Moslem drums serve as terrace posts.
May pagka-imeldific pala si Loren. Better taste pa.
I know!
Did you know that Tony’s daughter has embraced Islam completely?
She lives here in Brussels.
According to my source, Loren doesn’t have the 5 million pesos she needs to step up her election protest suit. Tony, whom I know well, apparently has had it – kasi taray din itong si Loren.
My source said, “E saan naman siya kukuha ng limang milyong piso basta basta?”
Re Arguelles –
What’s gonna happen now? Is he going to be replaced?
Emily Relucio-“Lopez” is another joke! She does NOT deserve to be a diplomat! I mean really, to be “married” to Albertito one must be desperate! A NO COMPARISON to a Chona Mejia at all!!!
The “padrino” of Philippe Lhuillier is Joe de Venecia. Lhuillier had difficulty with France because France prefers a career diplomat, and a pawnshop owner is not really what one may term as a “career diplomat” and neither is Lhuillier is career diplomat.
Chabeli,
Is that what he is, Lhuillier? A pawnshop owner? I mean, there’s nothing wrong with being a pawnshop owner but surely, to be a major diplomat of sorts, he must have some diplomatic credentials to boast of?
Yes, Anna de Brux, he is a pawnshop owner. And if my memory serves me right, I had read some time back that Lhuillier was being questioned by then Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Albert to explain a “40-foot container van of “second-hand” (which he described as “junk”) Italian furniture he shipped into the country” a couple of years ago, after “an investigation report saying that the shipment had been facilitated using spurious Philippine Embassy documentation.”
Also, as far as I can remember, he DOES NOT have any diplomatic credentials to boast of really. He was only appointed during Erap’s time (as Ambassador to Italy).
Re Chabeli’s “Also, as far as I can remember, he DOES NOT have any diplomatic credentials to boast of really. He was only appointed during Erap’s time (as Ambassador to Italy).”
Eeeek! Goodness gracious me! But who advised Estrada to appoint Lhillier?
Hi Ellen,
Remember when I reported about the distressing appearance and what appeared to be “memory loss” of Sen Santiago when she was in Brussels (Taipan, I believe even paraphrased my description of her “attitude” as “TULALA”)?
Well, it seems that the good senator is indeed afflicted with some kind of a mystery ailment and won’t be a candidate for a UN post any longer. My layman’s “diagnosis” when I met her in Brussels was that she might be suffering from some form of althzheimer’s disease.
I’ve seen the type of behaviour she displayed in Brussels in some “old” people already.
Poor Santiago…
Lhuillier’s family owns the chain of Lhuillier pawnshop. Nothing wrong really except that he was investigated for smuggling.(His niece, Monique Lhuillier is one of the rising fashion designer in the U.S.) It’s his Cebu connections which worked for him well during Erap’s time and also now, under Arroyo.
That smuggling case was one of the points against him raised by career officers when he coveted France. I’m doing a special report that mentions that for the PCIJ. Tinatapos ko pa.
Chabeli is right. Lhuillier’s ninong for the post is JDV. Same thing with Emily Lopez.
These people think an ambassadorial position is pasosyal-sosyal lang.
Yes Anna, Philippe J Lhuillier is a pawnshop owner who opened his first shop here in Malibay, Pasay as Agencia de Empeños de Cebuana (later PJ Lhullier Pawnshop) when I was just a small kid back in the 60s. Sibling Michel owns M Lhuillier Pawnshop. The othe “P” Lhuillier belongs to Pacita.
And yes, he was appointed ambassador to Italy, Albania and San Marino by Erap as well as permanent representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Ngayon ko lang nalaman na puwede palang kainin at itanim ang alahas!
Ellen I’ve been invited to see Monique’s fashion show on Nov. 12. Actually, a client is selling me some expensive tickets, and damn, how do you refuse a client?
Si Monique pala ay bunso nina Michel at Amparito.
Wow. Where, in New York?
Sarap magbasa…..
Balitang sosyalan: lumabas na pala ang bulung-bulungan…..
Hehehehhhhhh…..
Joking aside,
WHY ON EARTH will they appoint someone [at Rome pa man din ang pinipili!] ng isang walang K: career-wise and legally speaking? Bukod sa ‘illegal’ na, wala pang alam sa Foreign Affairs? Ang tanging credential lamang nya, eh, pede syang maghakot ng brand bags at fashionable trends galing sa Europe. Baka may balak magbukas ng exclusive boutique itong si emily relucio?
Lola glue,
Ayan ka na naman, a-appoint-appoint….
‘Di na natuto….
Eh isa ring illegal itong mag-a-appoint!
Anna, here a news item in the Inquirer on Sen. Santiago’s illness:
>Ngayon ko lang nalaman na puwede palang kainin
>at itanim ang alahas!
>These people think an ambassadorial position is
>pasosyal-sosyal lang.
>Balitang sosyalan
Kung ang mga Chinese noon may Ping Pong Diplomacy, tayo din ay may Basketball Diplomacy(“bolahan”).
Ngayon naman iba na! as in Boxing Diplomacy ni Manny Pac … “job ng job”
Hello Katrina Kahalili
adb,
dibale … Ikaw ang embassador namin dyan sa Europa 😉
meron din palang “Philippine” dyan malapit sa Terneuzen
Makikisingit lang while I take my break. For the past two day, I have been busy doing translations for two or three TV networks because of the discovery of a an illegal ring selling human organs especially from the Philippines.
Regarding Loren, I understand that the husband has adopted Islam to be able to legitimize his illicit relationship with wannabe politician, Loren, and his other common-law-wives I guess because the Moslems are allowed to have at least 4 wives, but at 70, I doubt if he still can be of service to his wives without using Viagra!
What a generation of corrupt Filipinos indeed! If this Emily is going to be sent to Argentina, better tip off the tabloids there about this illicit relationship. They will have a fiesta there complete with the additional carne norte with all the trimmings.
Just my yen.
Ellen,
Can you please email to me yours and PCIJ’s expose on this. I will try to get a copy to a fellow Oxford U Society member from the Argentine Embassy here to give to the ambassador who might be interested to talk this over with their president?
Aside from being the mistress of a big shot in the Philippines, and the buddy of the immoral bogus president, what other academic qualification, etc. does this woman have?
We’ll see what’s gonna happen to Brenda. When she’s through, hopefully, it will be the turn of the Bansot tapos sunod-sunod na sila. What men cannot do, definitely the Lord Above can, and with a bang!
Back to work!
So, hindi pa pala Envoy itong si Emily Relucia- Lopez (kuno). Narinig ko lang at nakita ang picture niya sa kapitbahay ko ritong nagbakasyon sa Iloilo last Agugust. Owner kasi ng isang island ang kapatid nitong kapitbahay ko , kaya kasosyalan niya ang ibang mga kaibigan ni Emily. Nang bumisita sa Guimaras si GMA(along with 200 bodyguards daw!!!) para makita ang damaged ng oil disaster doon. Si Emily siyempre ang head ng sumalubong kay GMA. As usual, picture dini, posed sila doon. Ngayon lang naging clear as a crystal ang matagal ng question mark sa isip ko paano naging ambassador itong si Emily. My kapitbahay kasi kept on referring to me as the ambassador. Ambassador ng anong bansa?, was my question, na hindi naman niya matukoy, kundi Manila lang! Naloko na, may ambassador ba na lokal sa Manila? Naging crazy na tuloy ang usapan namin! Thanks for the infos on this woman! I’ll get more infos from my kapitbahay today! Sosyal kasi ito, eh!
a lot of pinoy’s who cannot get their papers in order here in norway go to italy and disappear so to speak. the joke is that only st peter knew how many pinoys are in italy. therefore maybe it’s ok that the amb there don’t need any paper either, who knows, the next vote padding may come from there.
norpil, just to serve the purpose of gloria and her legion, 150%, mangyayari ang sinabi mo. meron pa bang hindi gagawin si gloria upang manatili ang kanyang mga galamay sa kongreso at sendo? tuloy maisulong ang sayaw ng pagpatay sa pag-asa ng mga pinoy?
norpil, just to serve the purpose of gloria and her legion, 150%, mangyayari ang sinabi mo. meron pa bang hindi gagawin si gloria upang manatili ang kanyang mga galamay sa kongreso at senado? tuloy maisulong ang sayaw ng pagpatay sa pag-asa ng mga pinoy?
Scots share anti-bigotry efforts
Scotland’s efforts to tackle sectarianism are being shared with politicians from Northern Ireland.
Ulster Unionist and SDLP members of the Northern Ireland Assembly are visiting Scotland on a fact finding tour.
They will hold talks with Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson, who contributed to an SDLP anti-sectarian conference earlier this year.
The joint delegation has also pencilled in meetings with the Old Firm football clubs, MSPs, police and church leaders.
‘Determined efforts’
Senior SDLP negotiator Sean Farren said the contribution of Ms Jamieson at the earlier conference had been “worthwhile and educational”.
He said: “The delegation is travelling to Scotland at the invitation of the Scottish Executive to update and inform ourselves on recent Scottish initiatives on dealing with sectarianism from which we believe we could learn.
“Sectarianism has been a poison in Scottish society as it has been here and there have been determined efforts since devolution to tackle the threat head on.”
Mr Farren will be joined on the visit by SDLP Assembly colleagues John Dallat and Dolores Kelly, a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
The Ulster Unionist members of the delegation will be South Belfast Assembly member Esmond Birnie and Policing Board member Trevor Ringland, a former Ireland rugby international.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/5408230.stm
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>Did you know that Tony’s daughter has embraced Islam
>completely?
>She lives here in Brussels.
Anna, hindi kaya mapagkamalan na RSM yan?Gaya nang nabasa ko sa Manila Times kahapon “Terror and pain” -—From the Newsroom
nanggaling kaya sa exclusive catholic school yan?
Nagtataka lang ako kapag nag idolo ng mga bayani tulad ni Raha Sulayman(Pre-Hispanic times), eh nagiging kalaban ng western interest.Masama pa nito ay branded as terrorist.
Halimbawa kapag ginusto ko si Hideyoshi, Genghis Khan, Jules Brunet, Chu Teh atbpa ano naman kaya ang maitatawag sa akin?
Malamang kung si Vang Pao pa dahil magiging kakampi nila(westerners)?
O kaya Frank Dunne(Gallipoli)?
Napapansin ko mas kaaya-ayang basahin ang mga panulat ni Theucydides kaysa Herodotus 😉
Tungkol naman sa mga kasama ko dito sa office, mas gusto nilang pag-usapan si David Graham ng Big Brother 😕
Ellen,
Re “These people think an ambassadorial position is pasosyal-sosyal lang.” How absolutely disgusting!
Those non-career people who land or try to land ambassadorial positions because they have the connections should be told in no uncertain terms that being an envoy requires more than just holding a glass of champagne.
In France, would be diplomats for major posts (US, UK, Japan, EU, NATO, Russia) are well-trained. Most French envoys to these countries have to go through a higher and tough institue of learning called ENA (Ecole Nationale d’Administration). Career diplomats who don’t make it to this civil service institute par excellence will never make it to the ambassadorial posts I mentioned.
French envoys to Manila are usually those minor diplomats who are “en fin de leur parcours” (end of their diplomatic career). These last 10 to 15 years, I must say that Philippines has not been taken seriously by European countries so envoys who are sent there are not top caliber doplomats.
(I’ve known most of the French envoys to Manila starting in 1991 and I can tell you, they were far from being the best of the French diplomatic corps, except for one perhaps, during Erap’s time who was an excellent career diplomat and after his Manila posting was sent to the EU.)
For Asian countries, the Philippines may be an important post and so they send their top diplomats but just the same, the better ones are posted to Western countries.
Ellen,
Re: Brenda
Well, she sure showed signs of being “bizarroid” when she was in Brussels.
But she’s not that old yet – she’s what? 64 years old?
Her political life has been dominated by self-induced stress I reckon. She’s so high-strung and terribly confrontational.
I remember that when she was running for president against FVR, she would be so high handed to her own people, the same people who were volunteering to help her. Her own brother (younger than Benjie) committed suicide too but it was never played up in media.
Nelbar,
Tony Leviste is a convert. He professes he’s Muslim. I reckon the daughter got it from him.
But the daughter (the equestrian champion) is Muslim totally and even wears “chador” (the veil) when she goes out.
Nelbar,
Re: “Halimbawa kapag ginusto ko si Hideyoshi, Genghis Khan, Jules Brunet, Chu Teh atbpa ano naman kaya ang maitatawag sa akin?”
People would still call you Nelbar, I reckon.
Anyway, what’s wrong with liking them? These people are dead anyway and can no longer do damage to humanity.
Alexander the Great was just like Genghis Khan. Both thrived in war and killings, invasions and colonizations… They’ve done some good and some bad.
Unless of course you profess the greatest admiration for Attila the Hun, then people might start thinking differently.
To me, you will be the same Nelbar.
Ellen, Monique’s fashion show on Nov. 12 will be held in Manila. At siyempre yung mga sosyal sa Cebu namakyaw na ng mga best seats in the house I’m told. Di ko pa nakikita ang tickets pero nagcommit na akong magbabayad, but attending it, not probably.
Sigurado, magkikislapan ang mga leeg, tenga at daliri ng mga matrona doon sa dami ng suot na mamahaling alahas. Mga naremata kaya sa sanglaan?
Hello Tongue,
Why don’t you go if only to report to us the who’s who in Cebu and how they are ostentatiously attired while the poor in the slums area have barely anything to eat.
Sayang the tickets naman! If I were you I’d attend but would wear fake, horrible, glittering jewelry and sit side by side with those matronas – to complete the get up and to make the ridiculous sublime as can be, wear nylon attire with all the glitter that you can buy from Divisoria!
Hah! That will be just something to see!
And if you are daring and bold, wear a tiara made of glass! Heheh!
Reminds me of Empress Sissi of Austria when Italy was still under Austrian rule.
Because the people of Milan hated their Austrian occupiers, the Italian nobility sent their household help to the opera which was held in honor of the Austrian Emperor and Empress. The Italian nobility had agreed to send their maids and butlers attired in noble regalia.
But of course, the household help who attended didn’t have the polish or finish and it showed. The Austrian monarchs were so appalled and realized that they were had! That was a very funny incident in the lives of Emperor Joseph and his wife, the much loved Empress Sissi!
Elvira, yes, i saw those guimaras photos with emily trailing arroyo.
I noticed too that she is described as “ambassador”. Hindi na makahintay ma-confirm.
Ellen:
Bakit ang mga pilipino mahilig sa title. Dito hindi pinapansin ang mga title. Tama nang tawagin mo ang isang tao ng -San sa dulo ng pangalan niya. Ang may titulo lang ay iyong mga royal family tulad ng emperador na tinatawag naming, “Tenno Heika.” Ambassador daw hindi pa confirm. Dapat Madame Mistress na lang dahil querrida lang naman pala noong biyenan ni Osmena. Tangna ang kapal naman ng mukha ng mga kabit na iyan. Di bale kung nag-Moslem ang mga asawa nila na puede apat ang asawa!!!
Tapos iyong mga babae din, lalakero katulad ni you know who!
Yuko,
Alam mo ba na mas matindi ang mga Kristiyano dahil ang mga Muslim 4 wives lang ang puwede pero sa Kristiyano 5 daw…
Anna,
Iyon Kristyano, guerrida lang kasi hindi ikinakasal. Tawag kabit! Iyong Moslem, lahat ng asawa ikinakasal! Hindi kabit! 😛
Meron akong attire na ala-50 Cents, yun bang may malaking bling-bling sa leeg (rhodium-plated copper chain na akala mo ipantatali ng garahe), blindman’s shades, sleeveless turtleneck knits, XXXL pants. Diba oks yun?
Kaya lang ipapaubaya ko na lang sa sis-in-law and her friend ang tickets (isa siyang wedding coordinator) e ang alam ko ang forte ni Monique ay wedding gowns, ano’ng mahihita ko doon? Maliban siguro kung ang models e sina Leticia Casta, Heidi Klum at Tyra Banks baka sumama pa ako, hehehe. Siguradong may tickets si Maurice Arcache na complimentary. Pipilitin kong bilhin.
Maurice Arcache will never give that up. That’s what they live for.
Tongue,
Re: “e ang alam ko ang forte ni Monique ay wedding gowns, ano’ng mahihita ko doon?”
Hahhahah!
Wedding gowns? Wow! Maurice would love that. (And me too, would’ve loved to go out to see the gowns!)
Good old Maurice Arcache – he’s actually Portuguese who speaks French. He’s a fun guy! I’m sure Maurice would be very happy to don a wedding gown!
If you see him, tell him “bisous” from Anna from Paris… we used to bump into each other at parties whenever I went to Manila which used to be often (but then I stopped going to Manila regularly when Gloria punggok came to power… grrrr!)