By Linggoy Alcuaz
OpinYon Lite
OpinYon Lite
I always thought that GMA took politics more Litely than ABS CBN. Vice versa, I always thought that GMA was more committed to the truth than ABS CBN, PTV, IBC, RPN as well as most of the other large and small networks and stations. Bob Stewart set up TV Channel 7.under the Republic Broadcasting System. He was an American citizen. If my memory does not fail and fool me, Bob was a World War II U. S. Army GI who stayed behind after the war, perhaps married a Filipina, pioneered in the entertainment television business, sold it later on and retired to Phoenix, Arizona.
If I’m not mistaken, Tony S. Quirino set up either of ABS or CBN. ABS was the Alto Broadcasting System. CBN was the Chronicle Broadcasting Network. Eugenio Lopez, Sr. set up one of them and bought the other. He put them together and built ABS CBN up into what it is. Ining was the brighter brother of Fernando Lopez, Jr, father of Geny, Precy Psinakis, Oscar, Manolo and Robin, and grandfather of Gaby.
Tony Quirino was the brother of President Elpidio Syquia Quirino of Vigan, Ilocos Sur. He was the father of Cory Quirino. In preparation for his brother’s re-election campaign for President in the November 1953 National Elections, he bought television broadcasting equipment.
The CIA, led by Col. Edward Landsdale, USAF, had manipulated the Philippine Press against Quirino and in favour of their fair haired candidate, Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. Although television was a new medium, Tony had the connections and resources to beat the opposition in this medium.
Take note that Fernando Lopez, Jr. was not only the two term Vice President of Ferdinand E. Marcos from 1965 – 1973. He was also the Vice President of Quirino from 1949 – 1953. I have not managed to confirm a hundred per cent, that he was the Vice Presidential running mate of Quirino in 1953. However, logic would confirm that he, indeed, was.
In all the National Campaigns and Elections from 1935 – 1969 under the 1935 Constitution, there was an unwritten rule in the putting together of a Presidential and Vice Presidential tandem. One had to come from Luzon, the North, and the other from the South, the Visayas or Mindanao.
Thus, when the Presidential Candidates were Quezon (1935 and 1939), Quirino (1949 and 1953), Magsaysay (1953), Macapagal (1961) and Marcos (1965 and 1969) from Luzon, their running mates were Osmena (1935 and 1939), Lopez (1949 and 1953), Garcia (1953), Pelaez (1961) and again, Lopez (1965 and 1969). When the senior partners in the tandems were Roxas (1946), Garcia/Yulo (1957) and Osmena (1969), the junior partners were Quirino (1946), Laurel or Puyat/Macapagal (1957) and Magsaysay (1969) respectively.
Take note that the Quirinos and Lopezes were political allies. After Quirino’s defeat in 1953, the Lopezes, whose wealth was based on sugar, bought or took over Tony Quirino’s TV experiment. Being a new medium as well as business, a TV network or station was not yet profitable. It had to be cross subsidized from other more profitable and proven businesses.
The Lopezes most probably already owned and ran the Chronicle broadsheet newspaper, as well as the Chronicle Broadcasting Network of radio stations. Tony’s ABS was a very appropriate and complimentary addition to and partner of CBN.
Both ABS and CBN were embroiled in politics from their starts. The Lopez Family’s very vested interests in Sugar, Public Utilities and Tri-media dictated and laid the foundations for the policy and style of ABS CBN.
All the time, I believed that Bob’s TV Channel 7, later on the Duavit, Gozun and Jimenez GMA TV and Radio Network, were truly “Walang Kinikilingan, … , Serbisiyong Totoo Lamang!“ However, two to three months ago, I discovered a hidden aspect of GMA in GMA News Network\s Channel 11.
Channel 11 has a thirty minute, late Monday night (10 or 11 pm.) show called “I Juander” hosted by Susan Enriquez. Since August is the Chinese Ghost Month, they produced an episode, “Sino ang (White Lady) Babae sa Balete Drive?” for broadcast on August 29.
Since, I own and live in an eighty-five year old house between Campanilla and Sampaguita Streets along Balete Drive in New Manila, Baranggay Mariana, Cubao, Quezon City, the major TV Networks regularly use our home as a backdrop for their scenes and shows that have ghosts as their subjects and topics.
“I Juander’s” researcher and producer got in touch with me to find out more about the White Lady of Balete Drive, as well as to borrow our home and surroundings as a venue for their video shoots. I had written about the White Lady in the November 1 – 7, 2010 issue of our weekly OpinYon opinion newspaper.
I knew and had written about her father and mother’s family names, her death and apparitions or appearances in the early 1950’s and her residence. Her parents were a Garchitorena and a Recto. She died in a vehicular accident during an unauthorized (by her parents) joyride with friends. She owed money to her class fund. This was one of the reasons why she could not leave her earthly surroundings. She usually made her appearances by hitching rides along Balete Drive at night, riding in the back seat and then disappearing or vice versa, ie. by just appearing in the back of a vehicle.
The “I Juander” researcher discovered and informed me of the following. The White Lady of Balete Drive’s name was MARIA ELENA RECTO GARCHITORENA. Her mother was MARIA CRISTINA RECTO and her father was a GARCHITORENA from the Municipality of Tigaon, Camarines Sur. They could not establish his first name. However, my friend, former Caloocan City Congressman and NAIAA/MIAA General Manager Romeo “Romy” Santos told me that the father was the “Tito Manito” of his wife, Magdalena Garchitorena. Up to today, Romy and Meg still own what is left, after Land Reform, of Hacienda Magdalena, in Tigaon, in the Partida District of Camarines Sur.
Aside from Romy, a common friend, former DAR Undersecretary Pejo confirmed the family lineage of the White Lady. My friend, former Batangas Vice Governor Ricky Recto, told me that the White Lady was his cousin. His father, Raffy Recto, owned the house on Balete Drive, corner Bouganvilla Street, up to Hibiscus Street, where the White Lady and her family lived in the early 1950’s. He confirmed a slightly different version of why and how she died and haunted Balete Drive and nearby streets.
“I Juander” was not able to interview Ricky, who is still in hiding and the subject of a warrant of arrest based on unbailable charges of double murder. Senator Raffy Recto denied to “I Juander” that he had a White Lady as a relative. However, they interviewed Louie Recto Ysmael, former Disco owner and pioneer, and son of Chona Recto married to Ysmael, and later to Kasten. Louie confirmed most of the things that I knew about the White Lady.
However, when the thirty minute “I Juander” episode, “Sino and babae sa Balete Drive?” was shown late on Monday, August 29, there was no mention of the surname “Recto”. Neither the middle name “Recto” of Maria Elena Recto Garchitorena or Louie Recto Ysmael were mentioned. The White Lady’s residence was not described as owned by a Recto. Neither Raffy’s denials to “I Juander” or Ricky’s statements or confirmations to me were mentioned at all.
“I Juander” used my home and garden half a dozen times. They interviewed me on TV audio and video for almost thirty minutes. They did not include any of my TV recordings that mentioned “Recto” as the White Lady, her parents and family and finally, her home’s residents and/or owners.
Well, so far this Halloween or “Undas” season, we have only had one query about our home as venue for a TV encounter with the White Lady or other ghosts or just to hold a Halloween Activity – GMA’s “Unang Hirit”.
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