Odette Ong, Pnoy's alleged Iron Lady and her alleged links with Lucio Lao Co

Who is Odette Ong and why is she now being tagged as the new "Iron Lady" in the new Aquino administration?


Odette Ong, seen here with Cory Quirino, is reportedly a very close associate of former president Cory Aquino. She is one of the prime movers of the Spirit of EDSA movement.


She is now back in Malacanang although her "role" in the new administration is unknown. According to several sources, Ong is conducting an internal audit, a clear function of the Commission on Audit (COA). Why is the new administration allowing a private citizen to conduct an internal audit of all Malacanang transactions? 


Ong is said to be somewhat a Meldy Poblador, meaning, an "operator". Or, let's just say, she's actually an "unofficial liaison" between Malacanang and interest groups.


Odette Ong is very influential among political circles. She moves within the inner circles of the Aquino family. She is considered as a dear family friend, like retired General Ramon Montano, Voltaire Gazmin and Cesar Sarino.

Fact is, when the Aquino sisters awarded Filipino boxer Donito Donaire with a ceremony and a party, Ong was there. Among those who attended the lunch were US Ambassador Kristie Kenney, Bro. Bernie Oca of La Salle, Star columnist Popoy Juico and wife Margie, Ambassador Howard Dee, Mila Drilon, Dinky Soliman, Fulgencio Factoran, Cesar Buenaventura, Antonio Gonzalez, Deedee Sytangco, Domingo Lee, Miguel Perez-Rubio, Cesar Sarino, Gen. Voltaire Gazmin, Gen. Ramon Montano, Odette Ong, Speaker Jose and Gina de Venecia, Solar owners William and Wilson Tieng, Ambassador Mercy Tuason, Adolf Azcuna and Maritess Lopez.




There are now fears that Ong is allegedly serving as liaison for several big-businessmen who have interests in several government owned and controlled corporations.
 
That includes, according to my sources, RPN 9 and IBC 13. Ong is said to be representing Solar entertainment owners William and Wilson Tieng, who have a very serious business interests at RPN 9. Solar owns the primetime evening program slots in RPN 9. Solar has not remitted allegedly the funds which they have collected from advertisers, according to several insiders.
 
What is most disturbing is the alleged lobbying being undertaken reportedly by Odette Ong on behalf of big-time smuggler Lucio Lao Co. The amount involved reportedly is a whopping P 200 million pesos. Wow.
 
The deal? Lucio Lao Co wants the new administration to go easy on him, since he has been identified as one of 14 big-time smugglers in the Philippines. Lao Co has been investigated by the Senate, along with fellow alleged smugglers, Vicky Toh and Samuel Lee.
 
Lao Co is a close buddy of former president Joseph Estrada. In a PCIJ report, Co is described as the "Philippines' chicken king":
 

Lucio Lao Co topped the list of 14 suspected major smugglers ordered investigated in 1999 by no less than Estrada himself.




Co's Puregold Duty Free Shop had come under fire when it bagged the contracts to run the government's duty-free shops in Davao, Cebu, Laoag and Clark without a public bidding. The businessman was subsequently accused of smuggling fake Maling pork luncheon meat, Hope and Champion cigarettes, and Fundador brandy.


The goateed Co also became known as the "chicken king" for shiploads of chicken that he supposedly imported from the United States duty-free then diverted to Metro Manila retail outlets.


A resident of Paco, Manila, Co's family made a fortune from importing cheap glassware from Indonesia. Co himself controls RN Development Corp., which owns the majority shares of Fontana. He is also a director of exploration firm Alcorn Petroleum & Minerals Corp. (APMC).


Co is associated with FVC Realty and Development Corp., which holds the title to Laarni Enriquez's residence at 771 Harvard St. in Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong. The property was formerly under the name of Jacinto Ng, another Estrada friend.


Co once used Luneta as a helipad, to the chagrin of friends and park goers. He is also known for being formerly close to socialite Rosemarie 'Baby' Arenas.

Co has also maintained a very big contract with Duty Free Philippines, a crony deal which was not investigated during the Arroyo administration.


Fact is, Vicky Toh, the alleged paramour of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and Lucio Lao Co are best friends, along with Samuel Lee. Lee was slapped with a 151 million peso tax evasion case but never spent a single second in jail.


A Palace source, whom I will not identify for the moment, says that Ong is really involved in Malacanang in an "unofficial capacity". Ong is said to be undertaking an "internal audit". Wow. Is that the function of the Commission on Audit, not by an individual?


What is there to audit? Auditing is only undertaken to identify some irregularities. Why not allow the COA to do it instead of a close family friend of the Aquinos? This is something very irregular.

Boyet Fajardo Scandal--The Real Score

First, let me put everything in perspective.

The Facts
This so-called “scandalous” incident started when an unknown fashion designer name Boyet Fajardo went to Duty-Free Philippines to buy chocolates. He just came from China and reportedly wanted to buy pasalubong for his staff.

According to him, he was tired and stressed out. After disembarkation, he went straight to Duty-Free. In an interview with the now-controversial Fajardo, Alex Santos of TV Patrol found out that Fajardo managed to buy at least three items in three counters. On all those purchases, he presented his Philippine passport.

On the last counter, Counter 5, this is where Fajardo encountered some problems. Based on his interview with some TV reporters whom I know, Fajardo claimed to have seen Susan Gonzales, the duty cashier nudge Marvin Fernandez, the new assistant. Fajardo claims that Gonzales nudged Fernandez when they saw his disabled left arm (according to an editor friend, Fajardo has a limp. He can’t use his left arm since its shorter than his right and he can’t move it).
Fajardo approached Counter 5 and presented his unsigned Equitable Mastercard gold card (This is according to reporters who interviewed Fajardo).

Fernandez, who’s new in the job, asked Fajardo if he can show any form of identification. As the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) at DFP, Fernandez was just doing his job. He’s still three months on the job yet, according to reports, Fernandez is known for his honesty and a stickler to the rules. In fact, Fernandez is a member of a religious group known for their honesty and integrity.

Anyway, as what is expected from him, Fajardo showed his passport. Fernandez noticed that the passport did not bear Fajardo’s signature. In old passports, your signature just happens to be at the back flap. In Fajardo’s case, a US Visa was plastered on the old flap.

Since both the passport and the credit card which Fajardo presented bore no signature, as what the SOP is, Fernandez asked for other forms of ID.

Fajardo, at this point, went ballistic. The gay fashion designer claimed that the other counters found nothing wrong with his passport. Why is he now suddenly being asked for it?

Fernandez calmly told him that it is Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for him to ask the customer some form of identification. Yet, according to reports, Fajardo just berated the poor guy.

It was at that point that Susan Gonzales supported her colleague against Fajardo. When Fajardo was castigating the two employees, the duty sales manager approached them. Fajardo requested that he be given the chance to explain his side. He asked for a place where they can sort things out.

Yet, instead of asking the parties to cool down and go to another place to calm the situation, the manager just asked Fernandez to kneel down before Fajardo, ” to end this thing once and for all, just do what the customer (Fajardo) wants”.

Now, you’ll ask—was it not Fajardo who asked (or ordered Fernandez) to kneel before him? Again, basing on reports, Fajardo claims that it was the manager who actually told Fernandez to do the unthinkable.

For me, whoever ordered this despicable thing is irrelevant. If, Fajardo’s claims are true, that it was not him, then probably the reason why the manager suggested such a thing to Fernandez is because Fajardo was bullying them.

Fajardo, as what witnesses say, was shouting invectives and asserting himself. He was dropping off names of influential people left and right, just like that scene involving an ABS-CBN reporter who was mauled by a Congressional staff member.

Anyway, there is reason to believe that Fajardo’s suggestions (” I will never forgive you if you’ll not kneel down before me”–paraphrased already in English) were misinterpreted because Fajardo himself continued on bullying these poor employees. Though the suggestion was rightly viewed by Mr. Fajardo’s spokesperson as ” creative outburst”, yet, it led to this highly contemptuous act which we now saw on the video clip.

The Fault
What’s now the fault of Fajardo? Though I believe Fajardo did’nt mean to commit a crime, yet, he can be sued for oral defamation since the two victims claimed that he cussed and made names (” you pig! or something to that effect).

Will Fajardo be jailed for it? Yes. In the Revised Penal Code, oral defamation carries a penalty of imprisonment.

Now, who’s fault is it?

Obviously, if you look at all angles, it was plain and simple bullying. Fajardo bullied the poor DFP employee Marvin Fernandez. Fajardo tried to harass, bull and he wanted to really humiliate Fernandez. Fernandez, for those who don’t know, is a homosexual.

Being new in the job (he’s not a regular member of the union of Duty-Free Philippines and just started three months ago), Fernandez is as vulnerable as anybody in that situation. The fact that Fajardo was name dropping (according to accounts, Fajardo even name dropped the name of the head of DFP, Formoso) caused Fernandez to quake in fear. Fajardo exploited the situation by bullying the duty manager, who, probably thought that “customers are always right” and ordered her staff to do the horrific act.

The Lesson
The lesson here is simple—some customers are NOT always right. Customers who think of themselves as members of the elite think they deserve special or extra special treatment. They don’t.

In fact, those who are celebrities or they think they’re popular (like what this Fajardo thinks of himself) is expected to behave more civilly than others. Public celebrities are expected by the people to be role models. They are NOT expected to behave like savages or “lords”.

Boyet Fajardo should always be reminded of his roots. Fajardo claims that he was once a cashier. That’s the reason, says one reporter friend, why he claims to empathize with Fernandez (apart from of course, the most obvious–they’re both gays).

Mr. Fajardo should also be reminded that all the riches in the world can’t buy you humanity. You can’t buy decency and right conduct. You obviously cannot buy respect. You simply don’t.

Respect, like any other thing in this world, is earned. And you earn it, not because you’re rich or you’re a “celebrated fashion designer” as you so claim, but because people genuinely love you.

When you’re truly loved, you’re truly respected. And when you’re respected, that’s the time that you become popular. And when you’re now popular, that’s the time that you should be more responsible. And when you’re more responsible, that’s the time that people think highly of you as a celebrity.

IN this case, Mr. Fajardo, you’re not loved. You’re hated. Because you failed to earn respect. When you lack respect, you’re simply unpopular. And when you’re unpopular, you simply are not responsible. And when you’re not responsible for anything, reality strikes you like a thunderbolt.

You are not a celebrity, Mr. Fajardo. You’re simply a flash in the pan. Some people call you now a douchebag. Yet, what I can say is, you’re simply a cause celebre. Or probably a monstrosity.
Solution?

For Mr. Fajardo, leave this place. Go to a place where passports are simply recognized as an important document.

For Mr. Fernandez, continue the fight. You are a very good employee. Continue to be honest. Yet, I also suggest that you forgive Boyet. Afterwards, sue him.

For union president Dennis Mallari—I just got this information that you’re just using this incident as your political vehicle. Don’t. People, especially reporters and journalists, are hot on your trail. Don’t exploit Mr. Fernandez.

And for all customers of Duty Free Philippines—-next time, try to behave properly. Think that no one sees you but God? Look again. There’s a camera out there. And YouTube is just a click of a finger.