Civil case 4082

With city and provincial funds for the year already "advanced and spent" nationwide by May 10, there’s talk that any public spending (for roads and such) will have to take place only starting next year.

That means that more people currently based in the provinces will be heading for Metro Manila, looking for unskilled work.

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Red Ribbon Foods Corp. president Danilo Moran is on the lookout for a chief operating officer.

You see, the COO – who also heads marketing – Divino Villanueva resigned effective end-April to spend more time playing golf and to help his elder son, a new graduate from Ateneo de Manila University, put up a business.

Come to think of it, now that he is no longer connected with Red Ribbon, Dinky Villanueva can become one of the company’s franchisees.

Of the company’s 75 outlets nationwide, 17 are franchised. Oh yes, there’s also 14 outlets in California, all of which are currently company-owned.

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With his death, the fight for the estate of industrialized Enrique Zobel has intensified. Still unresolved by the Balayan, Batangas regional trial court is the "petition for declaration of nullity of marriage" (civil case 4082) filed by Mr. Zobel against Rocio Urquijo-Zobel on Sept. 4, 2002.

Because Mr. Zobel is a quadriplegic – the result of a fall while playing polo – he couldn’t sign the petition, a thumbmark had to do.

In her latest "answer with compulsory counterclaim," Ms. Urquijo-Zobel asked the court to place the estate of her husband under her guardianship or under Mr. Zobel’s cousin, Ayala Corp. chairman Jaime Zobel de Ayala.

Based on the documents submitted by both husband and wife, here are the bare facts of the case.

• Their marriage took place on Oct. 7, 1953. The couple spent the last 30 years of that marriage apart, during which time Ms. Urquijo-Zobel was financially supported by her mother, brother, and daughter.

• They were devastated by the death of their first-born, Santiago, who died of pneumonia at age 11 after playing soccer.

• Ms. Urquijo-Zobel was hospitalized in a mental institution in Geneva. Ms. Urquijo-Zobel said it was her husband who committed her while Mr. Zobel said he was accompanied by his wife’s brother. Ms. Urquijo-Zobel said her brother took her out of the hospital; Mr. Zobel said he did.

• During one summer vacation, Mr. Zobel brought back to the Philippines his two children. Mr. Zobel claimed he did so with his children’s consent. Ms. Urquijo-Zobel charged Mr. Zobel with kidnapping but the case was eventually dismissed.

• The last time Mr. Zobel saw his wife was in Manila. At a party, Mr. Zobel gave Ms. Urquijo-Zobel a Christmas present. Ms. Zobel said the present was given by Mr. Zobel’s companion, Dee Anne Hora. Both husband and wife agreed that Ms. Urquijo-Zobel threw down the gift and said some nasty things.