May 19, 2013 Manila, Philippines
By MARYA SALAMAT
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – The long journey of Rep. Iggy Arroyo’s body from London to Manila and then to Negros had turned more telenovela-like than the Corona impeachment trial, as the media avidly followed the two women, or the “two camps,” who competed for the rights to bring Rep. Arroyo’s body home, lay him to rest and while doing so, receive the sympathy of those who would come to offer their last respects.
The media coverage of the death in London of Rep. Iggy Arroyo has focused on the tug-of-war over who is the “rightful” wife. On the one hand there is the “legal” wife whose claim to being that apparently rests on the slowness of annulment proceedings in the Philippines, or to the glaring lack of a divorce law in this country. On the other hand, there is the “common law” wife who had lived with Rep. Iggy in recent years and who had cared for him when he was dying abroad.
Until now, even after his body was already flown to Negros Occidental, talks, or the media reports, center on the tension between the two wives.
But Rep. Iggy ‘Pidal’ Arroyo was no ordinary good-looking rich lawmaker – he was the brother of former First Gentleman Miguel “Mike’ Arroyo whom Rep. Iggy extricated from culpability in some celebrated cases of corruption in the past. With his death, his brother Mike has lost a crucial ally. Who would come out now and claim the blame for irregularities for which Mike Arroyo remains implicated? No thanks to the overblown treatment of the drama and entertainment between the two women in his brother’s life, who was apparently a serial monogamist except that his ex has not yet come to terms with it, Mike Arroyo was somehow able to face the press without the need to explain his wealth. Or parry accusations that he may still be trying to evade charges here by flying abroad.
Macho, macho world
Filipino women should be angered at their treatment in this Pidal body brouhaha. Their sisters are used to provide entertainment in a trivialized life of a lawmaker, and to also provide a cover for a former first family who is still facing charges over corruption and election scandals.
So as not to belittle the suffering of women as exemplified by Iggy’s past wife and current wife, legislators should rush to pass a divorce law. That would have resolved the past wife’s evidently still unresolved claims on the estate of Rep. Iggy Arroyo, and perhaps also unresolved demands for the rightful share of her daughter from his estate. That would have also prevented her from sticking her neck out and becoming a butt of joke by other people, in calling herself as his “legal wife” when actual practice for years had contradicted that.
A divorce law could have prevented as well the underlying slur which current wives have to face every time they are referred to as “common law wife.”
The fact that only a few lawmakers and politicians in this country feel compelled to correct the problem that has generated a telenovela tug-of-war between two women, and while most seemed content to just be entertained by these women’s struggles as Mike’s helicopters and bank accounts abroad seem forgotten, shows clearly the extent of lobbying and pressures that women have to do to make these men see sense. 
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Grace was with him all the way they are living together for 5 years. Aleli you should move own and live Grace alone. Iggy is gone give a respect to this dead man let him rest in peace. Give it up he choose to live with Grace do you get the concept.
Aleli wla silbi…napakagreed mo na ta0 aleli…
yan c kapunan lawyer ba yan pra hindi yata makapagsalita???
It’s about time that we have a divorce bill in our country. There are so many alelis, iggis and graces nowadays. I dont understand why the church contradicts this law to be passed when obviously, many people are getting affected by the slowness of the annulment process. Not all mistresses are homewreckers, and not everyone stays in love with their partner forever. It this situation, it was obvious that iggy hated aleli so much that he decided to leave her and lived with grace instead. and most of all, he left all his estates income to grace. Aleli may be the legal wife but there was something about her that iggy could not stand even staying with her even only for their daughters sake. There wont be no so called mistresses in our country if we had divorce law. Give people what they want. Government and laws where formed for everyone and not just for christians like aleli…
And women should stop hating each other. They met bec. of one guy so blame the guy alone. Wives, bear in mind that “no one can take your man, unless that man wants to go”. Mistresses, be careful with the guys you meet. A married man will always tell you everything you wanna hear just to keep you so dont get fooled by his words….
The law is there simply because “we cannot always get what we want..” otherwise, there will be no peace and order. I personally do not agree with the Divorce Law as there is already this “ANNULMENT” which is stricter than divorce pero pareho din lang na papayagang maghiwalay ang mag-asawa at pareho din lang namang magastos. But still, it protects families as it discourages separation and protects the interests of the kids.
Grace Ibuna should run for office and her first bill should be the Divorce Law. This will stop the hypocrisy of most marriages in the Philippines and avoid the ugly predicament such as the one she just went throughand will probably continue to experience. Think of the children!!! More power to Grace and the other Graces out there! BTW, she should definitely file a libel and defammation of character lawsuit against the former so-called “legal wife” and her troll of a lawyer.
I agree. Kudos to the writer for cogently written article.
Let there be a separation between State and Church. It is unfortunate for today’s Filipinos that the Church indirectly runs the country.
the coins has two sides, aleli is a wife with integrity defending her daughter rights, even if they’ve lived with this Mistress for almost five years, think of this destroyed Family, and to be honest, how many man this Ibuna has already, children with different fathers and still no husband to call,instead taking some others husband, oh come on —ist a clear , she took Gaby from sharom , and the two children from other husband and this Iggy from aleli, who is the next victim… ist a shame to the public that your Holding the Bible, clean first your temple.
Separation of Church and State…
the clause has always been misunderstood and even misinterpreted…
The separation of Church and State is defined that the government cannot allocate funds for a benefit of a single religion or cannot even establish laws to hinder the citizen’s freedom of worship…
However, the clause does NOT prohibit anyone with religious points of views, even priests, pastors or imams to express about the present political situation…
About the Divorce Law, if you cannot take the bad points in married life, it is better not to marry at all. For richer or poorer, sickness and in health, for good times and in bad…UNTIL DEATH DO US PART…That is the essence of marriage. Marriage, deal or no deal? there is no third…
sa ganang akin kung totoong respetadong tao si aleli dapat hindi sya gumawa ng mga ganyang eskandalo . at kung tunay na asawa ang turing nya sa sarili nya dapat always behave sya at hindi dapat mag comment ng kung anu ano . . . .
lumalabas kasi na ang tunay na habol ni aleli ay ang pera lang ni congressman arroyo . . on the first place bakit nga ba iniwan ni congressman arroyo si aleli kung matinong babae sya? . . iniwan sya maybe because may nakita si congressman na hindi makain na ugali si aleli . . . at kung totoong mahal nya si congressman arroyo dapat respetuhin at patawarin kung ano man ang nagawang kasalanan nito . . sa buhay may asawa kailangan intindihin din natin at patawarin ang mga asawa natin kung ano ang mga nagawa nilang kasalanan . . di ba “For better or for Worse”
Hindi sya perfect but napaka bait na tao ni congressman arroyo . . .
May you rest in peace congressman iggy arroyo
Bilib din ako sa mga anak ni congressman sa una at tunay ding asawa . . . ipinakita nila na they were raised with a true good breeding . . .
bakit nga ba respetado at maganda ang turing ng mga anak ni congressman arroyo sa una at tunay ding asawa nya kay grace ibuna? . . maybe because may nakita din silang magandang pag-uugali ni grace kung kaya nagustuhan at minahal din ng kanilang ama si grace . . .
hay buhay laging complicated . . . kung ikaw mismo ang gumagawa ng mga bagay kung bakit naging complicated ito . . .
para kay aleli arroyo sana matutunan mong tanggapin ang lahat . . or maybe asked yourself kung bakit nangyari ang mgta yan sa buhay mo . . ikaw din lang kasi ang nakakaalam ng tunay na rason kung bakit ka iniwan ng aming congressman . . .keep going para sa anak mo . .
para kay grace naman sana pahalagahan mo kung ano man ang mga naiwan sa iyo ng aming congressman . . . at kahit wala na si congressman arroyo sana manatili ang magandang pagtitinginan nyo ng mga anak nito . . . keep going also as you still have the life to live on . . be brave . . GOD bless you!!!
My name is Larry, I live in Australia, and I’m happily married to a lovely and caring wife, with two kids. A very big problem occurred in my family seven months ago,between me and my wife. So terrible that she took the case to court for a divorce. She said that she never wanted to stay with me again, and that she didn’t love me anymore. So she packed out of my house and made me and my children passed through severe pain. I tried all my possible means to get her back, after much begging, but all to no avail, and she confirmed it that she has made her decision, and she never wanted to see me again.
So one evening, as i was coming back from work,i met an old friend of mine who asked of my wife.So i explained every thing to her,so she told me that the only way i can get my wife back,is to visit a spell caster,because it has really worked for her too.So i never believed in spell,but i had no other choice,than to follow her advice. Then she gave me the email address of the spell caster whom she visited.{greatbabalajaoracletemple@gmail.com}.
So the next morning, I sent a mail to the address she gave to me, and the spell caster assured me that I will get my wife back.What an amazing statement!! I never believed, so he spoke with me, and told me everything that I need to do. Days later, so surprisingly, my wife who didn’t call me for the past seven {7}months, gave me a call to inform me that she was coming back. So Amazing!! So that was how she came back, with lots of love and joy, and she apologized for her mistake,and for the pain she caused me and my children. Then from that day, our relationship was now stronger than how it were before,by the help of a spell caster.
So, i will advice you out there to kindly visit the same website {greatbabalajaoracletemple@gmail.com}, if you are in any condition like this, or you have any problem related to “bringing your ex back or your relationship is about to crumble. So thanks to Great Babalaja Oracle Temple for bringing back my, and brought great joy to my family once again.
{greatbabalajaoracletemple@gmail.com},
Thanks…