From her FB postings and those of her other children, you will get the impression that the children are convinced to this day that someone else is framing Ramona and Ramon Joseph for Ramgen’s murder.
The police on Wednesday declared as closed the murder case of aspiring actor-politician Ramgen "Ram" Revilla after investigators tagged the victim's brother and sister as responsible for the crime.
The Commission on Higher Education will leave to college heads in Quezon City the decision on whether to suspend classes on Monday, when President Benigno Aquino III delivers his second State of the Nation Address (SONA).
The producers of "American Idol" achieved what it set out to do — make dreams come true. And for Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery, that dream culminated on the finale.
Perhaps having adjusted to the idea of Justin Bieber datingSelena Gomez, Bieber obsessives have found something new to fixate on while Bieber vacations in Hawaii with Gomez.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Calling the case a "brazen and outrageous fraud," Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg urged a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit by a New York man claiming he owns a huge stake in the social networking website.
Robin Padilla and Mariel Rodriguez's plans for a Catholic wedding in June may be headed for a major stumbling block, if a top church official has his way.
Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) has suspended Mang Inasal's ad placements on TV5's Willing Willie following the child abuse controversy involving a six-year old boy who was asked to dance on the show, reports Inquirer.net.
Nag-guest kanina sa "The Buzz" ang sexy actress na si Angelica Panganiban para bigyang linaw ang isyu tungkol sa kumakalat diumano na nude photo scandal nya sa internet.
Whitney Houston, who ruled as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.
Houston's publicist, Kristen Foster, said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.
News of Houston's death came on the eve of music's biggest night — the Grammy Awards. It's a showcase where she once reigned, and her death was sure to case a heavy pall on Sunday's ceremony. Houston's longtime mentor Clive Davis was to hold his annual concert and dinner Saturday; it was unclear if it was going to go forward.
"I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney's passing," music producer Quincy Jones said in a written statement. "I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with her. She was a true original and a talent beyond compare. I will miss her terribly."
At her peak, Houston the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.
Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale."
She had the he perfect voice, and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.
She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that many thought it was Houston.
But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.
"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.
It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.
She seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.
Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.
"The time that I first saw her singing in her mother's act in a club ... it was such a stunning impact," Davis told "Good Morning America."
"To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine," he added.
lifted from: abcnewsgo.com. Pinoygroundzero holds no copyright over this material.
It's barely 2 weeks before Christmas, and to celebrate it in advance, Pinoy G brings you the Unix Quartet, a group of bankers singing Filipino well-known composer Ryan Cayabyab's "Kumukutikutitap", a la Moymoy Palaboy. Watch and be amused:
I was debating with myself whether to write about this. Sleep on it and wait for more developments, my hubby Alan who is my de facto editor, advised me.
And so I did. I’m glad I did.
Because Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. did a most unusual thing this Saturday. He agreed to be interviewed by phone on the TV gossip show Startalk.
Hours later, that very night, he staged what the Philippine Daily Inquirerdescribed was “a hastily called press conference” where he asked the Department of Foreign Affairs “to exert legal and diplomatic efforts to bring Ramona back to the country and face our justice system.”
Now Saturday press conferences are unusual in the news business. A prominent personality calls for a weekend press con when he has an urgent thing to say. Or when he wants to downplay an important thing, knowing people are resting and won’t really bother to read it. Sundays are usually busy family days.
A weekend press conference could also indicate haste or panic.
Anyway, two things stuck out for me in Sen. Bong Revilla’s hastily called press con. First, he asked the DFA to look for his half-sister Ramona, tagged as an accomplice to the murder of her older brother Ramgen.
Second, the senator dismissed the postings made by Ramona’s mother, Genelyn Magsaysay, on the social networking site Facebook “as an attempt to distract investigators and muddle the ongoing probe,” Inquirer said.
Then Inquirer quoted Sen. Bong as simply saying, in answer to the question about Genelyn’s postings:
Let’s not change the topic.
Oh, but we simply can’t do that.
Genelyn’s postings on FB show the dynamics between Senator Bong – the legitimate first-born son of Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr – and the woman who bore Sen. Bong’s father nine children in 23 years. That would roughly be two children every two to three years. No easy task.
UPDATE:
My attention has been called by many commenters to this piece that Senator Bong’s mother, Azucena Mortel, is not the real or first wife or legitimate wife of Senator Ramon Revilla Sr.
Actually, I don’t know if this is really case. But I’m awaiting proof.
One commenter also pointed out that Sen. Bong Revilla is not the FIRST-BORN son, but the second son. The first, being Marlon Bautista. I’ve checked and the commenter is right.
My mistake on that one.
The handsome Senator Bong, who topped last year’s senatorial elections with 19.5 million votes, is clearly eying the vice-presidency or the presidency in 2016. He is the only other senator representing former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Lakas-Kampi Party in the Senate. The other is Sen. Lito Lapid.
I promised myself that as a responsible journalist I have to help dig up facets of the lives of every politician seeking high office. We don’t want skeletons tumbling out of closets the way they did during Joseph Estrada’s presidency.
I did some calculations and was intrigued to find out that Genelyn and Sen. Bong are roughly the same age:
Sen. Bong was born Sept. 25, 1966 and is three years older than Genelyn
Genelyn was born Dec. 20, 1969
Sen. Bong’s wife, Lani, was born April 13, 1968, which makes her a year older than Genelyn.
That would make Sen. Bong 45, his wife Lani 43, and Genelyn 42. But if you look at all three, you would think Genelyn is the oldest.
Sen. Bong reveals a family secret – and bares a double standard
When Sen. Bong revealed Saturday some family secrets, such as his father Revilla Sr. feeling disappointed by Genelyn’s eldest daughter Ramona because Ramona got married at age 19 to a Turkish national and therefore she should should not disappoint them a second time and quickly return home to face the murder charge, the senator’s statement is truly rich with irony.
Genelyn herself gave birth to her first-born Ramgen – her love child by Sen. Bong’s dad – when she was only 19 years old. That must have been a hushed-up scandal then, considering she was a daughter of former Senator Genaro Magsaysay.
Genelyn Magsaysay posted on Facebook this photo of herself on February 2011
Sen. Bong fathered his oldest son Leonard Bryan (born November 1986) when he was only 20 years old and his partner Lani was only 18 years old – even younger than when Ramona got married.
It’s quite interesting that both Revilla father and son expect a far different behavior from the women in the Revilla clan.
Sen. Bong’s eldest sister, Rowena, once told PEP that the girls in the clan were barred from dating boys:
Hindi ka puwede sa mga boys; sa pagdadamit lang, grabe, sobrang strikto. I got married at the age of 30 na, ayaw pa niya. My goodness! Ganun siya.
Rowena was referring to her horny dad who had fathered at least 72 children in 84 years.
He tried to protect his daughters from men like himself.
Sen. Bong has also revealed that Ramgen was his father’s favorite son. But he did not say how he really felt about THAT. If he had resented being replaced in his father’s affections or resented the fact that it was Genelyn’s son, and not his own son Leonard Bryan, who was lolo-dad’s favorite.
Genelyn’s place in the Revilla clan
Even if Revilla Sr. fathered 72 children by 16 different women, there was only one other woman in his life who was constantly by his side. And that woman was Genelyn. Genelyn seriously came into his life when she gave birth to Ramgen in 1988.
And apparently, Azucena, the real wife of Revilla Sr., welcomed the baby with open arms. She even allowed the baby Ramgen to be dropped off to the family compound to play with her grandchildren, even Sen. Bong Revilla confirmed.
When Azucena died in 1998, Genelyn became the loving companion of Ramon Sr. Through all the betrayals and liaisons that Ramon Sr.continued to commit, you could see in their photos that Genelyn truly loved him and Ramon Sr. doted on her.
Genelyn posted on Facebook on Oct 5, 2011 this photo of herself with the elder Ramon Revilla Sr.
She and their children were there for him.
Genelyn posted this photo on Facebook last Sept. 24-11 showing Ramon Sr. horsing around with three of their children
On Nov. 6, 2011, Genelyn changed her profile photo on FB to this, showing her nine children cuddling up to their father, Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr.
Genelyn Magsaysay’s status may have changed under Philippine law
Now, this is what’s intriguing.
When Azucena died in 1998, Genelyn’s legal status MAY have changed under Philippine law. She was no longer The Other Woman. She MAY have become The Companion of the former Senator Revilla, who by then became a widower.
Genelyn posted this photo on Facebook on March 9, 2011
The 1987 Family Code recognizes the right of The Companion to inherit, provided certain conditions are met under this provision:
Chapter 7. Property Regime of Unions Without Marriage
Art. 147. When a man and a woman who are capacitated to marry each other, live exclusively with each other as husband and wife without the benefit of marriage or under a void marriage, their wages and salaries shall be owned by them in equal shares and the property acquired by both of them through their work or industry shall be governed by the rules on co-ownership.
In the absence of proof to the contrary, properties acquired while they lived together shall be presumed to have been obtained by their joint efforts, work or industry, and shall be owned by them in equal shares. For purposes of this Article, a party who did not participate in the acquisition by the other party of any property shall be deemed to have contributed jointly in the acquisition thereof if the former’s efforts consisted in the care and maintenance of the family and of the household.
Neither party can encumber or dispose by acts inter vivos of his or her share in the property acquired during cohabitation and owned in common, without the consent of the other, until after the termination of their cohabitation.
When only one of the parties to a void marriage is in good faith, the share of the party in bad faith in the co-ownership shall be forfeited in favor of their common children. In case of default of or waiver by any or all of the common children or their descendants, each vacant share shall belong to the respective surviving descendants. In the absence of descendants, such share shall belong to the innocent party. In all cases, the forfeiture shall take place upon termination of the cohabitation. (144a)
Art. 148. In cases of cohabitation not falling under the preceding Article, only the properties acquired by both of the parties through their actual joint contribution of money, property, or industry shall be owned by them in common in proportion to their respective contributions. In the absence of proof to the contrary, their contributions and corresponding shares are presumed to be equal. The same rule and presumption shall apply to joint deposits of money and evidences of credit.
Genelyn shared this family photo on Sept. 24,2010 on Facebook
Genelyn posted this on Facebook on Sept. 24, 2011
Unfortunately, the arrangement was apparently disrupted after 10 years.
On Sept. 30, 2008 – or five days after Sen. Bong’s 42nd birthday – the delicate balance of love, harmony and perhaps resentment in the Revilla clan was terribly upset. Ramon Sr. suffered a serious stroke from which he has never fully recovered.
It is in this context that we can now examine Genelyn’s Facebook account, which functions more like her online wailing diary.
It shows The Anguish of The Other Woman/Companion whose man is dying, but who still has so many years of life before her and so many children to feed.
Last Saturday, Sen. Bong dismissed Genelyn’s FB postings as mere ravings, meant to distract investigators from the murder.
That’s how he looks at it.
Genelyn’s Facebook is her online diary
I think her FB postings may actually place the murder in context.
You see, the way Facebook works, every post is time-stamped. You can erase previous postings. But you cannot go back to a previous posting and change the time-stamp. And so you can trust that if Genelyn posted something earlier than the Oct. 28 murder of her son, the time stamp for that post is accurate.
Genelyn also placed her Facebook filter to “Public” – meaning, any Facebook member can access it. Because of this, I believe I am not violating her right to privacy. Even after some of her FB posts came out in the media, she has not turned her filter to “Private”.
Which means, she wants the whole world to know her pain.
I am not siding with her. I’m merely pointing out a possible avenue of police investigation into the death of Ramgen. If his siblings quarreled with him over money, what really brought this on?
The police claim Ramgen’s murder was prompted by the siblings’ squabble over the “allowance” they had been getting from Daddy Ramon.
Genelyn’s FB postings showed that months before the murder, the allowance being doled out to her and her children had been slowly shrinking.
What has received much media attention is Genelyn’s FB posting last October 21 – just a week before her son was killed. She wrote then:
Genelyn's post on Facebook of Oct. 21-11 is addressed to someone who intends to run for the presidency
It seems to be a dig at Sen. Bong Revilla.
Seriously, under the Constitution, Sen. Bong is well qualified to run for president. And he IS his father’s political heir in every way.
What could have prompted Genelyn’s rant?
Earlier postings show that in October 9, Genelyn was having money problems because their “allowance” from Ramon Sr. had been “cut.”
Previous postings also talk about her depression and money problems:
Genelyn’s circumstances apparently changed earlier this year
Last July 31, Genelyn hinted on FB that someone was breaking up with her:
And posted the song below by James Ingram -
Minutes later, Genelyn posted again, saying
With this song by David Gates -
Minutes later, she posted yet another song saying -
Over a week later, her mood had not changed. She posted two songs – ”It’s over now”
And - she wrote “ASA TO THE MAX” along with the song - What if, babyface
But on Aug 19, 2011, Genelyn unveiled a more defiant mood in her post below:
But then her mood dropped again. On Sept 16, she wrote:
However, on Oct 14 – two weeks before the murder – Genelyn wrote this curious post with an accompanying picture of her and Ramon Sr. She said they were “consecrated” together in Church.
Is that the equivalent of a Catholic marriage? Or was Genelyn spinning a fantasy for herself?
I don’t know. But if that was a marriage, then Genelyn gets half her husband’s fortune.
Even if untrue, the Family Code of 1987 MAY still protect her and her children, as I mentioned earlier.
Genelyn uses Facebook to bare her side on the Family Feud
Genelyn and Sen. Bong Revilla are NOT friends on Facebook. This would tell you a lot about their relationship.
From her FB postings and those of her other children, you will get the impression that the children are convinced to this day that someone else is framing Ramona and Ramon Joseph for Ramgen’s murder.
For instance, her son Rueben posted:
Genelyn’s son-in-law called police investigators “stupid” -
If true, who could it be?
If not, how could Genelyn bear the thought of two children killing their own brother?
In this unfolding saga of the Revilla clan, what role will Sen. Bong Revilla end up playing?
lifted from: raissarobles.com. Pinoygroundzero holds no copyright over this material.
Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has never looked so motivated to trainer Freddie Roach as he has in training to fight Juan Manuel Marquez next week and silence the Mexican fighter's taunts.
Pacquiao defends his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown against Marquez on November 12 at Las Vegas, the third fight in a trilogy that began with a 2004 draw and continued when "Pac-Man" won a 2008 split decision.
With one point on one judge's scorecard all that has separated the fighters through 24 rounds, Marquez has long argued he beat Pacquiao twice, even wearing a shirt that said, "I beat Pacquiao twice" to a pre-fight appearance in Manila.
"He's claiming he was robbed in the last two fights. This third fight will be the answer to all of that," Pacquiao said Wednesday.
"I'm not saying I'm going to knock him out but I have trained very hard for this fight. Whatever comes will come now. I have put in the hard work. I'm ready for this fight."
A photograph of Marquez adorns a wall behind the punching bag at the Los Angeles-area gymnasium where Pacquiao works out, a constant reminder and motivating force for the Philippines Congressman.
"I've never seen him as motivated as I have for this fight," Roach said. "Marquez went to the Philippines and embarrassed him, said a few things. That has pushed him to work harder in training camp.
"Manny Pacquiao is on fire right now. He's training very well. He has a little spark."
Pacquiao, 53-3 with two drawn and 38 knockouts, has won 14 successive fights and seven in a row since his narrow decision over Marquez, the closest fight of his current run that has seen victories over Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Shane Mosley.
And the southpaw star expects this fight with Marquez to be more intense than the previous thrillers.
"I believe this fight will be a much more exciting fight," Pacquiao said. "His style and mine are very similar. There is going to be a lot of boxing in the ring. I use my power better. He is improving. So it's going to be better."
"I never underestimate Marquez. I train hard for this fight. I feel strong. In the last four years I've changed a lot."
Marquez, 53-5 with one drawn and 39 knockouts, is 5-1 since losing to Pacquiao, the only loss coming by unanimous decision to unbeaten US star Floyd Mayweather in 2009 in Marquez's only prior welterweight outing before Pacquiao.
"He looks like he's working hard. He's bigger and stronger," Roach said. "He has changed his style a little bit. He needs to because we're working hard to beat him. Manny is ready. If he wants to come at him, we'll be ready."
Pacquiao has juggled his lawmaker responsibilities with singing, boxing and promotional appearances, but swears he has not been distracted from his goal of proving once and for all he is superior to Marquez.
"It's a good example to boxers. I can balance it," Pacquiao said. "I feel I can focus and concentrate hard for this fight. I have to sit outside all of the distractions."
Roach has seen "Pac-Man" flip the switch when he straps on his gloves.
"Once he comes in the gym door, it's nothing but work, work, work," Roach said. "If he wants to go sing after that, I have no problem with that at all. That's Manny Pacquiao."
lifted from: http://ph.yahoo.com/. Pinoygroundzero holds no copyright over this material.
