Trying by publicity

Beleaguered Globe Asiatique Realty president Delfin Lee can count on some friends rallying behind him. Lee’s friends are convinced he is a victim of a demolition job by competitors who are trying to derail his company’s planned initial public offering to raise P1.2 billion additional capital for the realty firm. Globe Asiatique ran into controversy for alleged spurious housing loan applications from Pag-IBIG for some of its low-cost housing projects in Pampanga. The businessman has reportedly hired the services of the MOST sought after firm nowadays, also known as “The New Firm” - Marcos Ochoa Serapio and Tan - to defend him from legal charges. According to Spy Bits sources, Lee also plans to engage the services of a top-notch public relations/crisis management firm to help him counter the alleged demolition job being done against him.

 It’s not the singer, it’s the song

It’s very obvious Rico Puno - not the singer but the DILG Undersecretary - is the best friend of President Noynoy Aquino. At the recent hostage crisis hearing, Puno seem to be singing the tune “It’s my fault,” obviously taking the bullet for his best friend. Rico and Noynoy have been friends for a long time and are both gun enthusiasts who share the same passion for practical shooting. Rico Puno served as a board member of the Philippine Practical Shooting Association. Aside from Puno, PNoy’s other confirmed close friends are Executive Secretary Paquito “Jojo” Ochoa and PAGCOR chief Cristino “Bong” Naguiat. The closest one however seems to be Puno who was quoted to have said he was willing to die for his best friend, and will literally take the bullet for the President.

Dental aches and pain

Members of the Philippine Dental Association are closely watching their upcoming elections with interest particularly since a lone female candidate is pitted against three male contenders. Dr. Maria Arlissa Aguiluz - running as an independent without any big shot backer or “padrino” - is braving it with only her platform of governance as anchor for her run. Interestingly, one of the seeming “aches” in the industry is the dismal compensation dentists get from HMOs (health maintenance organizations) that pay as low as P50 for a restoration - even lower than what the neighborhood manicurista gets for her services! Definitely an unjust arrangement, which Aguiluz wants corrected especially for financially hard-up dentists who have no other means to support them except their salaries.

On the other hand, US-educated dentist, Dr. Steve Mark Gan, wants to help the masses who could not afford decent dental care by setting up easy to afford dental clinics with former Equitable Bank president Rene Buenaventura. Mark Gan - who is a member of the Dental board of examiners - is planning to set up accessible clinics in several malls that will provide first-rate dental care to as many average Filipinos as possible. The partnership is reportedly pumping in as much as P500 million for the first of its kind dental mall clinics in the Philippines.

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