In the high-stakes world of politics, love and betrayal often walk hand in hand. Six years ago, Alicia Go, a psychology student, fell in love with a mysterious woman she met while living away from home for college. That woman was Theresia Aguerro, t...
Marco was in his old room in Cristobal Mansion. He was drinking and always locking himself in. Their maid just visited him in his room to bring food and alcohol.
"Ano bang nangyari sa'yo, Marco? Ilang buwan ka nang ganyan ah!" Don Rafael said angrily. Marco didn't mind his dad; he just continued to eat peanuts and stared into space. "Ano ba, Marco? Ganyan ka na ba kahina? Magpapadala ka sa sakit na naramdaman mo dahil sa isang babae? This is not the man I trained for," he scolded Marco, but Marco might as well have heard nothing.
"Get up, Marco! Get up and be the man I trained you to be! Get up!" He shouted.
"Rafael! Bakit mo sinisigawan ang anak natin?" Elena kneeled and hugged her son.
"Mahina yang anak mo! Look, he almost killed himself dahil sa babae! Ganyan ka na ba-"
"I love her, Dad! Mahal na mahal ko siya! And you don't understand because makasarili ka! Stop controlling me, Dad! Stop using me!" Marco shouted.
"Aba, bastos ka ah!" Don Rafael immediately punched him, and Marco fell to the floor. "Wag na wag mo kong sisigawan, Marco, kundi-"
"Tama na! Tama na! Tumigil na kayo!" Elena screamed.
"Mommy-"
"Pumunta ka ng America. Doon ka magpagaling."
"No! Ayoko, Dad!"
"Sinusuway mo na ako-"
"Kahit ano pang sabihin mo, ayoko!" Marco grabbed the alcohol and drank it. His parents just looked at him while he drank.
---------------- Risa was in the Senate hearing for the SOGIE Equality Bill. There were a lot of obstacles, and they had just finished debating earlier. They were now going to vote on approving the SOGIE Equality Bill.
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The SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression) Equality Bill had gained significant support in the Senate, with 19 out of 24 senators voting in favor during committee discussions. This measure was designed to protect the rights of individuals regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity and aimed to address discrimination against LGBTQIA+ individuals in various sectors.
Despite the positive momentum in the Senate committee, the bill still faced challenges. It had to go through multiple readings in the Senate and have a corresponding version passed in the House of Representatives. If both chambers approved the bill, it would proceed to a Bicameral Conference Committee to reconcile any differences between the two versions before being sent to the President for approval.
Opposition had been noted, with some senators expressing concerns and suggesting that existing laws were sufficient to protect against discrimination, indicating that there could be a contentious path ahead.
After a super tiring week, Risa could finally go back to Santander. She was free for the entire week and was heading home. As usual, Ate Gie would remain in Manila and update her on everything, while Karen would take care of her businesses in Banawi, leaving Risa to rest at home with the kids and Alicia.
