On disrespect for husbands

Many of us may still remember Tecla San Andres Ziga, Eva Estrada Kalaw, and Letecia Ramos Shahani, among the few women who eminently served as senators of the republic. Tecla Ravago San Andres was the first woman to top the bar examination and was successively elected as representative and senator. She was married to Venancio Ziga, and since her marriage, she came to be known as Tecla San Andres-Ziga.

Evangelina Reynada Estrada, more popularly known as Eva, was a part of the Nacionalista Party senatorial slate in 1965. It was the same year Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, who, in his obsession to become a presidential candidate, turned his Liberal Party coat to Nacionalista, and won the presidency. Eva’s husband was Teodoro Kalaw and after their matrimony, she came to be addressed as Eva Eatrada-Kalaw.

Leticia Valdez Ramos was a Filipino diplomat and writer. She held various high positions such as Ambassador to Australia and UN Assistant Secretary General for Social and Humanitarian Affairs. Letecia was a younger sister of President Fidel Valdez Ramos. In 1987, she was elected senator. When she married Ranjee Shahani, she proudly became Letecia Ramos-Shahani.

The three women-senators I mentioned above were outstanding personalities with impeccable credentials of their own. Yet, when they married, they gave honors to their spouses as they proudly adopted the family names of their husbands. In the halls of the Senate, they were addressed as Honorable San Andres-Ziga, Honorable Estrada-Kalaw and Honorable Ramos-Shahani.

How about 2025 Senatorial candidates Camille Villar, Abby Binay and Imee Marcos? The political propaganda materials of Villar, printed in brilliant colors, must have unmistakably blossomed throughout the country because here in Cebu City her face can be seen along our roads just few meters distant from one tarpaulin to another. She is advertised to the electors as part of the Villar political dynasty. In that presentation, I thought she was single. But, I have learned later that Villar married Erwin Genuino, son of former Pagcor chair Efraim Genuino. I can only opine that Camille is not proud of her husband and that is probably why she does not want to be known as Camille Villar-Genuino.

Atty. Jejomar Binay was a very active street parliamentarian in the dark days Marcos’ Martial Law. I dare say that he literally built the Binay family from the dust of the mass actions organized to fight the military regime of Da Apo. If my memory serves me right, from the ashes of EDZA I, Jejomar rose to rule as mayor of Makati and cemented the Binay political dynasty until he became vice president of our country. Mar-len Abigail “Abby” Binay, is a daughter of Vice President Jejomar. It is my opinion that she might be of the same mind as Camille Villar, disrespectful of their husbands. Even if she is married to Luis Campos, I have not heard Abby, in her campaign sorties, lovingly admitting to be the wife of Mr. Campos.

Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee" Romualdez Marcos, is our senator since 2019. It is public knowledge that she was married to Tommy Manotoc but has since separated from him and I have read from the internet that she has been in a long-term relationship with Mark Chua, a Singaporean and ethnic Chinese businessman. Imee’s political advertisements printed on tarpaulins that are placed along our streets project her as a beautiful movie star under the apparent care of Dr. Belo. Unfortunately, they not carry the surnames of either Manotoc and/or Chua. Is she of the same mentality as Camille and Abby - disrespectful and possibly contemptuous of their life partners?

Marriage, very importantly, is an inviolable social institution and husbands and wives are supposed to accord each other dignity and respect the highest of which is for the wife to carry her husband’s family name. Sadly, Camille, Abby and Imee are not as respectful to their husbands as were Senators Tecla San Andres Ziga, Eva Estrada Kalaw and Letecia Ramos Shahani. My vote is not for the disrespectful.