Boots assaulted by foreigner

Barely three weeks before she says “I do” to lawyer King Rodrigo on June 14, excited bride Boots Anson-Roa got the shock of her life when she was assaulted by a foreigner right at the lobby of the Andrea’s condominium in Quezon City where she’s staying.

“It was The Philippine STAR that caused it,” Boots in her characteristic good-naturedness joked about it when she talked to Funfare on the phone yesterday. “I was reading your column when the assault happened.”

It happened in the morning of Thursday, May 22, and Boots was talking about it only now that she and King are preparing formal charges against the suspect who is also a resident at the same condominium.

“I was in my jogging outfit and I just came from the gym,” related Boots. “I dropped by the counter at the lobby to browse a copy of The STAR. This guy confronted me from behind, saying, ‘Why don’t you buy your own paper?’ I didn’t mind him. I saw him walk toward the elevator and come back with a folded newspaper. While cursing me, he slapped my left arm with the folded paper but I kept my cool. Hindi naman ako confrontational kasi, eh. Everything was caught by the CCTV.”

Obviously, the suspect (“An Australian-Canadian married to a Filipina,” said Boots) didn’t know who he was assaulting. “It was not an isolated incident,” added Boots. “I learned that he has had similar brushes with other people.”

It took a while before Boots (who’s living only with maids at the condo unit) informed King who remained cool and decided to just take legal action against the suspect. Boots and King are getting married at the Archbishop’s Palace in Mandaluyong City, with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle officiating, on June 14 which is King’s 75th birthday and not, as wrongly mentioned by Funfare in last Sunday’s story, that of his mom’s (who is turning 100 on Nov. 18).

For a complete report on what happened, Boots sent Funfare a copy of an account (which I’m printing as is) submitted to the condominium management by Richard C. Ramon, detachment commander of Leopard Integrated Security Services, Inc.

Mr. Ross Hemingway of unit 3002 slapped the left upper arm of Ms. Boots Anson-Roa using a folded newspaper.

Submitted herewith the information report pertaining to incident (that) transpired at the lobby with regards to the actuation of Mr. Hemingway, the facts and the discussion as well as the action taken in connection to the incident are stated hereunder to wit:

WHAT: Slapping incident

WHEN: OOA 0943H. May 22, 2014

WHERE: Lobby Reception Area

HOW: Mr. Hemingway slapped the upper left arm of Ms. Boots while reading the headlines of the newspaper.

BACKGROUND OF THE CASE

On or about 0943H to date, while Ms. Boots has just done with her workout from the gym, she then entered at the Lobby Area of the building and read the headlines of the news paper placed in the reception desk.

On that juncture, Mr. Ross Hemingway of unit 3002 has just entered the Lobby premises coming from the outside of the building; afterwards Mr. Hemingway noticed that Ms. Boots is reading the headlines of the news paper at the reception desk. Thus, Mr. Hemingway converse to Ms. Boots quoting “What the f—k are you doing? Why are you reading other residents’ news paper?” After telling those words, Mr. Hemingway proceeds to the elevator lobby of the ground floor.

On that moment, Ms. Boots doesn’t paying any attention to what Mr. Hemingway is quoting since she doesn’t noticed that she’s the one being talked to by Mr. Hemingway. On that particular time. Mr. Hemingway doesn’t satisfy to what he did first to Ms. Boots since he was being ignored. Mr. Hemingway proceed back again to the reception desk and slapped the upper left arm of Ms. Boots using his folded news paper that was given to him by the undersigned before he left the building prior to the incident and he did quote again “What the f—k are you doing? Why are you reading other residents’ news paper and why didn’t you buy your own” and immediately proceed to the elevator lobby going to his unit.

The whole version of the incident was being witnessed by SG. Reycar Dionglay, on duty Lobby Guard.

This kind of incident also was being done by Mr. Hemingway against Ms. Emma Blanco of unit 706C.

ACTION TAKEN

1. The incident was documented.

Added Boots, “The Rodrigo Berenguer & Guno Legal firm is pressing charges against the offender. We are presenting our case to Barangay Kaunlaran on Friday morning (tomorrow, May 30) after communication and coordination with the management, security staff and other complainants of said building.”

Ejercito kid plays Marcos in Imelda musical

Angelo Ejercito Estrada, 22, a fresh Business Management graduate from St. Paul’s University-QC and a recent product of Tanghalang Pilipino (resident theater company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines) summer acting workshop is playing Ferdinand Marcos in A Mother’s Soul, an original Filipino musical that chronicles the life journey of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, a mother not only to her own children but to the whole country.

“To be in showbiz is my childhood dream,” said Angelo who formed a rock band two years ago with him on rhythm guitar. “I have always been fascinated by showbiz. Needless to say, it’s inevitable. Sabi nga, nananalaytay sa ugat ko ang dugong artista.”

Written from an apolitical point of view by multi-artist (writer, librettist, composer, lyricist, visual artist, stage director, actor) Francis Tanseco, A Mother’s Soul is not a parody, according to Dennis Adobas who is involved in the production. “It is not a comedy, not a condemnation but a juxtaposition of real and imagined events and an acknowledgment of the contributions Mrs. Marcos has done for our country. More than this, it aims to achieve national healing and political unity.”

Performances will be on Oct. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) Justo Albert auditorium. Being planned move-over engagements will follow in some Metro Manila campuses. The mounting of A Mother’s Soul is in partnership with Manila Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office, PLM’s College of Tourism and College of Mass Communications, in cooperation with the National Parks and Development Committee.