Koko Pimentel's wife files church annulment in Bacolod but will campaign for the senator and Rep. Golez

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  — Former beauty queen Jewel May Lobaton, estranged wife of reelectionist Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, the other day said she had filed a church annulment of their marriage.

“I just filed (the annulment) with the Diocese of Bacolod,” she told reporters here, during a press conference for the Jam Step, a project of her Ang Batang Pinoy Movement.

Lobaton, 1998 Bb. Pilipinas Universe titleholder, said she and Koko agreed that she files for the church annulment first, with Koko later to file the civil annulment.

Although they were married in Cagayan de Oro City, hometown of the Pimentels, Lobaton said Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra allowed her to file her annulment papers here because she is also a resident of Bacolod.

“We cannot anymore live together as husband and wife but we can live together as a family together with our children. The most important thing is our relationship is intact. At the end of the day, we want to see our children happy because their mother and father are also happy,” said Lobaton.

Last May, Pimentel announced that he had separated from Lobaton, his wife of 12 years with two sons who are now with the senator. Lobaton said, upon her return to Manila, she will again see her sons, with whom they have shared custody. “Anytime he wants to see the children I give the children to him; Monday to Friday, they are with me,” she said.

On Pimentel’s bid for reelection, Lobaton said she will continue to support him. “If (people) will ask me about him, I will just tell them that he will be a good senator. It’s their choice,” she said.

Lobaton has been rumored to have an affair with reelectionist Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez, who is also undergoing annulment proceedings with wife, former Tawi-Tawi Rep. Soraya Jaafar.

Golez, a physician and former spokesperson of then president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo, denied being in a relationship with Lobaton, saying they are just good friends.

“Really, we’re best of friends. My commitment to him is, ‘as your friend, I will stay beside you no matter what people do,” she said of Golez, adding that she will also campaign for Golez. “I will campaign for him on my free time. I will tell good things about him based on his work,” she said.

When asked if it’s possible for her to develop feelings with Golez, Lobaton said: “Why not? Because he’s a good man. (But) Right now, getting into another relationship is not in my priority list.”

Golez earlier said his conscience is clear, denying he was the reason for the breakup of the Pimentel couple in May. “It is something too personal to them that all we can do is respect their privacy especially in these difficult times.”  (FREEMAN)