Thursday, August 18, 2005
Pacita and the skeletons in the closet
Cocktales: Victoria's secretsPosted: 0:12 AM Aug. 17, 2005Victor AgustinInquirer News Service
(Published on Page B3 of the August 17, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
AN inheritance row has broken over the estate of billionaire Pacita Ongsiako de los Reyes-Phillips, with the executor and niece, corporate lawyer Victoria de los Reyes, being accused by the widowed US-based husband of legal skullduggery in having herself and her brother named as sole heirs.
On one hand, De los Reyes, a former bar examiner for legal ethics, declared the probable value of her aunt's estate -- which includes three houses in the Dasmariñas Village subdivision in the Makati business district, an Urdaneta Apartments unit and two buildings in Manila's Binondo Chinatown district and in Makati -- at P100 million.
On the other hand, lawyers for the Ohio-based widower, retired Army doctor Ralph Phillips, now 88, placed the value of the Delos Reyes-Phillips real estate, corporate and cash holdings at P2 billion to P3 billion.
A Miss Philippines 1929 and lawyer, De los Reyes-Phillips, 93, died last March 10, eight days after she signed a will disinheriting her husband "due to abandonment without justifiable cause for more than one year."
Lawyers for the husband, from the Chuidian Law Office, claim that the will was signed under duress -- despite the presence of lawyer-broadcaster Maria Carolina "Katrina" Legarda as one of the witnesses -- since the computer-generated document was prepared and handed in by the lawyer-niece when her aunt was "terminally ill."
Lawyer Vicente Chuidian also questioned the haste of Makati Regional Trial Court Judge Maria Cristina Cornejo in approving the will and disinheriting the husband without inquiring from the lawyer-niece about the whereabouts of the widower, who, as sole surviving heir, should by law be entitled to three-fourths of the estate.
"The petitioner [Victoria de los Reyes] went to the United States and even spoke with the son of the husband-heir being disinherited sometime in the first week of May 2005 but failed to inform him about the hearing that was scheduled for May 20, 2005," Chuidian said.
According to the grapevine, even evangelist Brother Eddie Villanueva's spokespersons, couple Louie and Triccie Sison, have signified their intention to join the opposition to the will, after negotiations with De los Reyes, attended by the late Fernando Poe's counsel Harriet Demetriou, broke down.
If they become public, the Sisons' claims about their alleged share in the De los Reyes-Phillips fortune would make even addicted viewers of "Desperate Housewives" blush, this we can assure.
For those of you who who don't know who Pacita is, go to my blog dated April 22 (for those reading this in livejournal: http://www.cutebalddiver.blogspot.com). Pacita Ongsiako de los Reyes-Philipps is the 1st cousin of my dad. In the 20's, she used to be a Ms. Philippines. She studied law in UP and topped the bar. She's known for doing very unconventional things during her time like suing Wack Wack Golf And Country for not allowing her to become a member because she is female. She won that case. I've talked to lawyers before and they keep asking me how I am related to Pacita or Oscar or Carmen. Apparently in Philippine Jurisprudence, my family is quite famous. Lol.
Well she is a character. She married an American. She didn't want to have children because it would ruin her figure. She got tired of the American when he couldn't get it up and ended up having a live in affair with Carlos Moran Sison. Carlos Moran Sison's daughter is claming part of the property. I wonder if she is the love child?
Carlos' other son, Louie Sison (Bro. Eddie Villanueva's spokeperson) has a daughter name Camille. Camille is married to my 1st cousin Congressman Edmund Ongsiako Reyes of Marinduque. This tale is far better than Despearate Housewives!!!
Those are my relatives in my father's side. Dad's family are composed of eccentric, brilliant, horny people. And most of them are suckers for love. My Lolo had 6 children out of wedlock. My grandmother never hesitated to sue anyone or everyone who got in her way. Oscar (Dad's late brother and of Siguion Reyna, Montecillo and Ongsiako Law Offices fame) always liked to brag that he wote the coporation code and the labor code of the Philippines. The colorful love life of Tonyboy Ongsiako Cojuangco and Gretchen Barretto and the never ending saga of Tita Meldy trying to break them up is a case in point. Those are my relatives: always colorful, always interesting and almost always, legendary.
Buti na lang tahimik buhay ko. Lol.
(Published on Page B3 of the August 17, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
AN inheritance row has broken over the estate of billionaire Pacita Ongsiako de los Reyes-Phillips, with the executor and niece, corporate lawyer Victoria de los Reyes, being accused by the widowed US-based husband of legal skullduggery in having herself and her brother named as sole heirs.
On one hand, De los Reyes, a former bar examiner for legal ethics, declared the probable value of her aunt's estate -- which includes three houses in the Dasmariñas Village subdivision in the Makati business district, an Urdaneta Apartments unit and two buildings in Manila's Binondo Chinatown district and in Makati -- at P100 million.
On the other hand, lawyers for the Ohio-based widower, retired Army doctor Ralph Phillips, now 88, placed the value of the Delos Reyes-Phillips real estate, corporate and cash holdings at P2 billion to P3 billion.
A Miss Philippines 1929 and lawyer, De los Reyes-Phillips, 93, died last March 10, eight days after she signed a will disinheriting her husband "due to abandonment without justifiable cause for more than one year."
Lawyers for the husband, from the Chuidian Law Office, claim that the will was signed under duress -- despite the presence of lawyer-broadcaster Maria Carolina "Katrina" Legarda as one of the witnesses -- since the computer-generated document was prepared and handed in by the lawyer-niece when her aunt was "terminally ill."
Lawyer Vicente Chuidian also questioned the haste of Makati Regional Trial Court Judge Maria Cristina Cornejo in approving the will and disinheriting the husband without inquiring from the lawyer-niece about the whereabouts of the widower, who, as sole surviving heir, should by law be entitled to three-fourths of the estate.
"The petitioner [Victoria de los Reyes] went to the United States and even spoke with the son of the husband-heir being disinherited sometime in the first week of May 2005 but failed to inform him about the hearing that was scheduled for May 20, 2005," Chuidian said.
According to the grapevine, even evangelist Brother Eddie Villanueva's spokespersons, couple Louie and Triccie Sison, have signified their intention to join the opposition to the will, after negotiations with De los Reyes, attended by the late Fernando Poe's counsel Harriet Demetriou, broke down.
If they become public, the Sisons' claims about their alleged share in the De los Reyes-Phillips fortune would make even addicted viewers of "Desperate Housewives" blush, this we can assure.
For those of you who who don't know who Pacita is, go to my blog dated April 22 (for those reading this in livejournal: http://www.cutebalddiver.blogspot.com). Pacita Ongsiako de los Reyes-Philipps is the 1st cousin of my dad. In the 20's, she used to be a Ms. Philippines. She studied law in UP and topped the bar. She's known for doing very unconventional things during her time like suing Wack Wack Golf And Country for not allowing her to become a member because she is female. She won that case. I've talked to lawyers before and they keep asking me how I am related to Pacita or Oscar or Carmen. Apparently in Philippine Jurisprudence, my family is quite famous. Lol.
Well she is a character. She married an American. She didn't want to have children because it would ruin her figure. She got tired of the American when he couldn't get it up and ended up having a live in affair with Carlos Moran Sison. Carlos Moran Sison's daughter is claming part of the property. I wonder if she is the love child?
Carlos' other son, Louie Sison (Bro. Eddie Villanueva's spokeperson) has a daughter name Camille. Camille is married to my 1st cousin Congressman Edmund Ongsiako Reyes of Marinduque. This tale is far better than Despearate Housewives!!!
Those are my relatives in my father's side. Dad's family are composed of eccentric, brilliant, horny people. And most of them are suckers for love. My Lolo had 6 children out of wedlock. My grandmother never hesitated to sue anyone or everyone who got in her way. Oscar (Dad's late brother and of Siguion Reyna, Montecillo and Ongsiako Law Offices fame) always liked to brag that he wote the coporation code and the labor code of the Philippines. The colorful love life of Tonyboy Ongsiako Cojuangco and Gretchen Barretto and the never ending saga of Tita Meldy trying to break them up is a case in point. Those are my relatives: always colorful, always interesting and almost always, legendary.
Buti na lang tahimik buhay ko. Lol.
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I was friends with Pacita and her mother, Paz Ongsiako Amusategui in the late 1960's and early '70's. Sr. Amusategui passed away in 1969 0r 1970 after a prolonged illness. I acted on stage with Pacita Phillips at the old fort in Manila in the Philippine version of the Broadway play, "The Visit". In spite of all the colorful stories, I had nothing but the highest regard for Pacita. I spent time in London and Madrid with her mother at Pacita's request, and enjoyed her very much, especially her stories about pre-WWII China. Pacita sent me a telegram in California in the mid '70's when her mother passed away in Manila. I was deeply moved by her thoughtfulness so many years after I had left the Philippines. I have nothing but fond memories of the family and will cherish those memories of my two years in that beautiful and intriguing country.
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