`Ang pagpapakamatay ni Strunk’

 (Part II)

Nung Biyernes naisulat ko ang aking reaksyon sa pagpapakamatay ni Mr. Rod Laurence Strunk sa isang hotel ang Tracy Inn sa Tracy, California, USA. Binanggit ko rin na maraming isinawalat si Elena dela Paz, ang matagal na kasama ni Ms Nida Blanca sa likod ng tabing na kumukubli sa tunay na nangyayari sa relasyon at buhay ni Nida-Rod.

Maraming nakapagbigay ng reaksyon. Isa na rito ay si Ms Caridad Sanchez na kung pagbabatayan mo ang mga napanood mo sa isang programa sa higanteng TV station na mapapakunot ka ng noo kung bakit tila pinagdidiinan ni Ms Sanchez na dapat masunod ang kanyang suggestion na bumubunggo sa kagustuhan ng anak ni Nida na si Kaye Torres.

Isang tao na hiningan ko ng kanyang reaksyon ay ang dating Justice ng Sandiganbayan, Pinuno ng COMELEC at ang dating abogado ng pamilya ni Nida na si Atty Harriet Demetrio.

Bakit si Harriet? Dahil ako mismo nakita ko kung paano niya pinag-ukulan ng pansin ang kaso ni Nida. Kung paano siya nakipagbakbakan sa mga autoridad para hindi tigilan ang pag-iimbestiga at pagkalap ng mga ebidensya na maaring makatulong sa paglutas ng pagpatay kay Nida. Bakit si Harriet dahil pinahanga ako ng taong ito sa kanyang katapangan itaya ang kanyang buhay para sa paghanap ng “Hustisya para kay Nida.”

Sa unang pagkikita pa lamang namin bagyo nun at idineklarang walang pasok sa mga opisina at eskwelahan dahil sa sama ng panahon at ulan na dala ng masungit na bagyo nasa isang maliit na restaurant kami at ang pinag-uusapan ay ang kaso ng pagpatay kay Nida. Nakita ko rin si Harriet na naka-walking shorts at rubber shoes na isinusuong ang sarili sa pugad ng mga Muslim para makausap namin ang testigong si Andrada Dalandas at ang asawa nitong isang Tausog warrior upang makumbinse ang babaeng ito na lumantad para mabigyan ng hustisya ang sinapit ni Nida.

Sinagot ako “politely” ni Harriet at tumanggi na magbigay ng kanyang komento sa kadahilanan hindi na siya ang abogado ni Nida. Matatandaan na sinibak siya sa tungkuling ito matapos ang ilang taon. Paano pwede sibakin kung hindi naman binabayaran ang isang tao para gawin ito?

“I do not want to comment and if I do have comments I want to reserve it to myself,” ayon kay Harriet.

Despondent daw si Strunk kaya nagpakamatay? Kaya pala nagpakasal siyang muli nung December at hindi nagtagal ang kanilang pagsasama. Isang kaibigan ni Strunk sa America ang nagpahayag na si Strunk daw ay naging labis na malungkutin at madalas uminom ng alak bago ito tuluyang nagpakamatay.

Bago kaya ang mga bagay na ito? Ang sagot  dito ay nakapaloob sa Sinumpaang Salaysay ni Elena dela Paz na ibigay kay Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta ang hepe ng Public Attorney’s Office (PAO)

Narito basahin natin. Paumanhin ninyo na hindi ko maaring isalin sa tagalog yan dahil sa English ibinigay ni Elena. Baka maiba kapag isinalin sa tagalog.

Affidavit

I, ELENA C. DE LA PAZ, seventy-one (71) years old, Filipino, and a resident of No. 28 Nathan Street, White Plains, Quezon City, after having sworn to accordance   with law, hereby depose and state that:

1. I am an avid fan of the movie star Nida Blanca since 1954. I followed her career by visiting  the site of  her  shootings  , watching  all her movies and  even visiting  her home in Pandacan  before  she  and her mother, Inocencia G. Acueza, moved to Pedro   Tuazon, Quezon City;

2. Before I Came to Nida Blanca’s life, it was her mother who accompanied Nida to her shootings  but when I entered her life, I became  her companion;

3. It was in the year 1957 when Nida Blanca married to Mr. Victorino Torres, the father of Miss Kaye Torres. But her marriage to Mr. Torres was severed in 1960.  Her success in the movie industry continued but I also witnessed her successive heartbreaks. I knew how painful it is for her hence, I   never left her side. I have been her comforter, listening to her problems;

4. Then she met Rod Strunk. The latter made a movie here in the Philippines and appeared in the Nida-Nestor Show. I noticed that Rod Strunk is arrogant and conceited. Rod Strunk became Nida Blanca’s boyfriend in 1964 but their relationship did not last long;

5. Nida Blanca and Rod Strunk met again in 1980 and they got married in Las Vegas, USA. They agreed to settle down here in the Philippines because Rod Strunk had no income in the USA while Nida Blanca’s career continued to prosper. Their relationship lasted for 22 years;

6. During the first year of their marriage, I could say that Nida was happy. They went to different places with Kay Torres and played darts. Nida even gave Rod Strunk money to start up a dart business for the latter to have an income. But their relationship was not always a bed of roses. Rod Strunk became alcoholic and every time he was drunk, he gave away the darts for free. Consequently, the business suffered;

7. Rod Strunk entered the music industry because it was his hobby in the USA. He has a good singing voice but this was the start of Nida’s enormous expense because Rod Strunk started to buy expensive musical instruments and recording equipments. Form the start, Nida gave Rod a monthly allowance and a percentage from Nida’s movies but these ere not enough to support   the expenditures of Rod. Sometimes, I heard having an argument over Rod’s over-spending;

8. Then suddenly, there was a change in Nida Blanca’s career. Her show entitled “John and Marsha” ended and movie offers became scarce. This prompted Nida to make a budget and all the members of the household cooperated. But after several weeks, Rod reverted back to his usual ways;

9. One day, Nida asked her daughter Kaye to talk to Rod   regarding the uncooperativeness of the latter   in the austerity measures at home. But sill Rod did not accede to the pleas of Kaye. Rod proved to be very selfish and unconcerned;

SA MIYERKULES itutuloy ko ang Sinumpaang Salaysay ni Elena dela Paz, eksklusibo dito lamang sa “CALVENTO FILES sa PSNGAYON.

PARA SA ANUMANG COMMENTS O REACTIONS maari kayong tumawag sa 6387285 o magtext sa 09213263166 09198972854.

E-mail address: [email protected]