COCKTALES | GMA son-in-law bitten by 1% electoral bug

By: Victor C. Agustin
August 7, 2012 3:34 PM

InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

The only son-in-law of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, retired investment banker John Aloysius "Luigi" Bernas, has also been bitten by the poll bug and has thrown his hat into the electoral ring.

But instead of a public office, Bernas, 51, is running for the board of the Manila Polo Club, where a membership share costs between P8.3 million, buying, and P9 million, asking.

Married to GMA daughter Luli, Bernas is seeking the two-year directorial term even though he has just been appointed president and chief operating officer of the publicly-listed Agrinurture trading-manufacturing-distribution-retail concern.

In addition to Bernas, Luis Campos Jr. (chairman of Campos Rueda & Sons trading company), polo player and land developer Santiago Elizalde, Narciso Erana (former president of the Investment Company Association of the Philippines), and past director and treasurer Violeta Gallego-Kramer are vying for the three board vacancies in the August 28 elections.

Located along McKinley Road on the South Forbes side, the 25-hectare club is the playing field for 2,177 members, representing the country's 1%. Still, the monthly dues for each member are in the reasonable P3,200 level, with consumable pegged at P700, the price of a modest lunch.

Conundrum on Coyiuto

There have been persistent rumors that insurance magnate Robert Coyiuto Jr. has lost the Audi and Porsche dealerships to his BFF, San Miguel president Ramon S. Ang, amid considerable losses.

The loss of the dealerships is true, with Coyiuto's PGA Cars now just concentrating on importing and distributing the German luxury marquees.

The exclusive dealership for Audi, for instance, has been awarded to Audi Motorcars Inc., whose chairman happens to be a certain Ma. Ines Ang of Merville Park, Paranaque.

Despite her surname, Ang is not a relative of the San Miguel boss, a PGA Cars official said, belying the so-called RSA connection.

The Porsche dealership, on the other hand, has been awarded to Porsche Motors Inc., whose chairman is listed as Rogel Atienza, with Vito Caragan as president.

The common denominators for the two dealerships happen to be the assistant corporate secretary, Vicente Caoile Jr., as well as Audi Motorcars president Marc Simon Ocampo Tan and Nicole Aimee Ocampo Tan, who both share the same Bel-Air Village address in Makati.

Prior to devolving the dealerships, PGA Cars reported a painful combined loss of over P267 million in the last two years. (PGA Cars has refuted this Cocktales post, and reports that the company in fact posted net income in 2010 and 2011. "Contrary to Mr. Agustin's assertion, PGA Cars reported a combined NET INCOME for the years 2010 and 2011," wrote PGA Cars comptroller Raquel Robles. More on PGA Cars' side here. - Ed)

Money-go-round

• Bankers Antonio Go and Rene Buenaventura have withdrawn their estafa complaint against international businessman Peter Zuellig concerning a $3.25-million loan accommodation following an amicable settlement.

Heard through the grapevine

Tip to those applying for flight attendant positions at Philippine Airlines during the August 11 job fair at the Diamond Hotel, the Roxas Boulevard hotel owned by San Miguel president Ramon S. Ang: A nursing degree, though not listed in the academic qualifications, is a definite advantage.

Cocktales TV co-host Cita Revilla, incidentally, will be a member of the panel of interviewers for the cabin crew applicants.

Email: cocktales_tv5@yahoo.com