Semidoppel's Reports

HOW, REALLY, DID MANUEL BAMBA VILLAR, JR. GET TO BE RICH? It may bear and serve the Filipino nation well to investigate and know that Manny Villar may actually have broken through Tondo-ragged accountancy to billionaire-rich presidentiable by allowing himself to be used as a foreign investor’s dummy in the Philippine real estate business. You see, the conduct of real estate business in the Philippines is made exclusive by law to Filipino citizens, necessarily because it involves business affairs affecting matters of territory, patrimony, and national security. Wasn’t that a debonair American who was smilingly visible every day at the offices of Crown Asia, Inc., way back before the Villars became politically ambitious? Unfortunately, sighting an American presence at Crown Asia, Inc. deteriorates to zero visibility in hot election weather, especially nowadays! As Manny Villar embarked on a political career, it naturally became strategically imperative to avoid flaks of damaging controversy about being economically beholden to foreign influence, especially from nationalist camps of the likes of then Senator Teofisto Guingona Jr. who was instrumental in passing the general law limiting the conduct of real estate business in the Philippines only to Filipinos. In fact, the last times the bespactacled, middle-aged happy American investor (silent or express?) of Crown Asia, Inc. was regularly observed at the 18th Floor of Cityland Herrera Tower was from 1997 to 1999. Most of us do have “humble,” sometimes “rotten,” beginnings; yet being transparent about such beginnings can do more good than harm. Perhaps good Senator Manuel Villar may want to comment on this at this time?