Why Richard was missing at his & Raymond’s twin B-day bash

The theme was “black and white masquerade” so the well-heeled well-wishers showed up dressed to the nines and, of course, hiding behind (expensive?) masks.

The fabulous event was held last Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 71 Gramercy at the 71st floor of what is touted as the tallest building not only in Makati City but in the country, which offers a mesmerizing panoramic view of surrounding places including those as far as Laguna.

It was the 30th birthday party for the Gutierrez twins Raymond and Richard, a gift from Ben Chan and Dr. Vicki Belo, with the help of Saga Events and Robert Blancaflor who did an amazing job of decking the venue the way it should be — A-list, elite, classy! Bongga, wasn’t it?

“Robert really transformed the place into a masquerade hall,” gushed Raymond, “and I want to thank him, Ben and Vicki because the party wouldn’t have happened without their help.”

But no matter how the guests tried to look for Richard behind the masks, they just couldn’t find him. Missing, too, was Richard’s beloved Sarah Lahbati.

“Richard couldn’t make it,” said the twins’ mom, Annabelle Rama who, as usual, ordered several crispy lechon from her native Cebu for the guests to pick on. “I tried to rebook their tickets but all flights were fully-booked.”

Instead, Richard celebrated his special day with Sarah in Paris.

“Chard opted to extend their vacation in Europe,” added Raymond who owns 71 Gramercy, his first business venture.

Some sidelights:

• Phil Younghusband came stag, looking upbeat only weeks after he broke up with Angel Locsin (who has professed her  love for old flame Luis Manzano, himself just free from Jennylyn Mercado).

• Billy Crawford and Coleen Garcia, who spent the holiday in the US, came together as if to confirm that they are now an item.

• KC Montero and Rhian Ramos were a twosome, making the guests wonder if they have really split up (was it a gimmick to generate publicity since breaking-up couples were headline stuff last year?). As they say, you “can never can tell,” hahaha!

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