First Person Family Feud By Mariebel Baylon Mangonon Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 10:29:00 08/24/2008
(Editor’s note: The following story was written by the ex-wife of Rico Delgado, who was murdered on March 10, 2007. His half-brother, Louie Gonzalez, has been charged as a suspect.)
MANILA, Philippines - I met Federico “Rico” Delgado sometime in October 1974 through a former classmate from Assumption Convent. The mutual attraction quickly developed into a whirlwind relationship, until we decided to elope to my hometown in Albay.
We were wed secretly in February 1975 by a judge in Legazpi City, with some of our friends acting as witnesses. We were both minors then: I was 21 and Rico 19.
As newlyweds, we stayed in my family house in Manila. In April 1975, we moved to his brother’s, Jose Marie Delgado’s house on Narra Street in Forbes Park upon the insistence of my then mother-in-law, Carmencita Delgado. She later initiated proceedings to annul our marriage on the grounds of “lack of parental consent.”
Although our marriage was annulled in August 1975, Rico and I continued to live together until the end of September 1975. Rico was suddenly sent abroad by his parents, while I went home to my parents for moral and financial support for the rest of my pregnancy.
On March 25, 1976, seven months after my marriage was annulled, I gave birth to twin girls Rebecca Angela (Rica) and Regina Isabel (Rina) Delgado at the Cardinal Santos Hospital, under the care of Dr. Greg Pastorfide.
Jose Marie Delgado (Mayie) visited me at the hospital, and both he and his wife were present during the baptism of the twins. Mayie is one of the twins’ godfathers.
I took the twins home to my father for financial support and to ensure that the twins received proper care, he being a medical surgeon and owner of the Immaculate Concepcion Hospital in Daraga, Albay.
In July 1977, I migrated to the US and was married in October 1977 to my present husband, Danny Mangonon. My mother took my twins to visit me once a year, until they finally joined us for good in June, 1981.
During these years, Rica and Rina were told that their mom and dad were in the United States, so there was never a problem adjusting to the new family environment. My husband willingly assumed the duties and responsibilities of a good father, so Rica and Rina grew up knowing that they have a father they look up to and love-somebody they could call “Dad.” They were nurtured, loved and raised in a reasonably comfortable American middle class setting.
Sometime in 1984, when the twins were in grade school, they started asking questions about their different last name. It became time to tell them the truth.
While there were occasional contacts between me and some members of the Delgado clan, Rica and Rina had never met their natural father, Rico, until much later. Around 1985 or 86, my daughters started to communicate and met with their Lolo Paco almost every year. I would bring them to visit their grandfather, mostly at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, whenever he was in town and had the time to see them.
On at least two of these occasions, they were introduced to, and spent time with, their Lola Vicky. They also met most of Rico’s siblings-Isabel and her late husband Dr. McCredy, Ricky, Franco and Mayie. There was never any doubt about the filial relationship between the twins and the Delgado family—until the issue of financial assistance came about.
Since my daughters’ birth, I have never asked, nor did I ever receive, a single cent from any of the Delgado family.
My husband and I have worked hard to provide the family with the basic necessities of life. Rica and Rina started to work during their last two years of high school, doing after-school and summer jobs to augment their weekly allowance and spending money for their needs as growing teenagers.
Occasionally, when the twins were teenagers, Don Paco would gift them with cash on special occasions, like Christmas, graduation from grade school, etc.
When it became time for the twins to go to college, I was in a quandary as to how to raise the $40,000 per year that they needed.
I was in Manila in March, 1989, to spend time with my dying father and I had a chance to meet with Rico to talk about the children. Rico expressed his desire to meet the twins in person, although on occasion, he had talked to his daughters over the phone. So I thought it was time for the twins to go home to Manila to meet their relatives and to ask for assistance towards their college expenses.
The meeting with Rico was cordial. They stayed in his Mayflower condo for most of their visit in Manila. Their father also treated them to a three-day Hong Kong vacation. Don Paco threw a dinner party at his residence for the entire Delgado clan for the twins to meet their assorted Titos, Titas and cousins. Everything went well.
When the twins talked to Rico for assistance for their college expenses, he counter offered to send the kids to school in Manila as long as they stayed with him. The gesture was much appreciated, but the twins explained that they had spent most of their lives in the US with the only family that they had known and grown accustomed to. Thus, it seemed almost cruel to separate them from the family and friends that they grew up with.
Rico was adamant, and everything went downhill from this point. Don Paco was fully aware of the situation but did not intercede or offer any advice or a possible solution. Communication completely ceased at this time.
It was against this backdrop that I filed my lawsuit in March, 1994, against Federico and Don Paco, asking for child support. Issues of legitimacy which they brought up have been resolved in the lower court and affirmed both at the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court levels. Voluminous exhibits and documentary evidence of need and actual expenses were submitted and made part of the court papers. We also submitted evidence to prove the financial capability of Rico and his ascendant Don Paco through their ownership of numerous corporations and real properties.
The Supreme Court ruled in my favor almost 12 years later, on June 30, 2006, and remanded the case to the RTC to determine the monetary award, pendente lite.
There was no contact with the Delgados while the case was under litigation. I heard from my inside sources that Don Paco was incensed about the lawsuit because I had not “kept it within the family.” But oddly enough, that’s exactly what I had been doing during the couple of years prior to the children’s going to college. I tried to keep everything “in the family.” But it had come to naught.
In fact, in one incidence when Rina was in high school and needed a dental brace (her coverage limit from my husband’s insurance had already been exhausted), she asked her Lolo Paco for a thousand dollars, but was denied because “business conditions” were unfavorable.
Then in March 2006 when Rico was in New York and called to check how the children were, I happened to mention that Rina was engaged. He nonchalantly asked if he would be invited. I said “No.” He laughed. Curiously enough, he did not forget to wish me a belated happy birthday.
It is unfortunate that to this day, this case is still languishing in our judicial system because of endless appeals from the other party questioning what have already been settled by the Supreme Court: legitimacy, citizenship, lack of Rico’s signature on the birth certificate (he was abroad), etc.
This is where we stand at present, 14 years later. We are still in the courts because of the delays and postponements requested by the other party that have allowed the Delgados to deny responsibility for even half of the cost (of the children’s college education).
It is no wonder then that when Rico was killed by a still unknown assailant in March 2007, no one in the Delgado family even bothered to inform Rico’s daughters of his murder. I had to call Mayie to please call the girls and let them know what happened. I myself found out only through friends in Manila who called.
It is therefore ironic that shortly after the murder, Mayie et. al. filed a case against their half-brother Louie Gonzalez by the “heirs” of Rico Delgado. This is far from the truth since Rica and Rina, the only known heirs, have never given any prior consent to be represented by any member of their family in the filing of any case related to the death of their father.
Attached is the Supreme Court decision dated June 30, 2006 establishing the legitimacy of Rica and Rina as Rico’s children and therefore his only heirs. Below is a brief excerpt of the SC decision G.R. 125041, to wit:
“…After the hearings conducted on this matter as well as the evidence presented, we find that petitioner was able to establish, by prima facie proof, the filiation of her twin daughters to private respondents and the twin’s entitlement to support pendente lite. In the words of the trial court—
…By and large, the status of the twins as children of Federico cannot be denied. They had maintained constant communication with their grandfather Francisco. As a matter of fact, respondent Francisco admitted having written several letters to Rica and Rina (Exhs. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, G-1 to G-30). In the said letters, particularly at the bottom thereof, respondent Francisco wrote the names of Rica and Rina Delgado. He therefore was very well aware that they bear the surname Delgado. Likewise, he referred to himself in his letters as either “Lolo Paco” or “Daddy Paco.” In his letter of October 13, 1989 (Exh. G-21), he said “as the grandfather, am extending a financial help of US$1,000.00.” On top of this, respondent Federico even gave the twins a treat to Hongkong during their visit to the Philippines. Indeed, respondents, by their actuations, have shown beyond doubt that the twins are the children on Federico.” (33)
Under Art. 199 of the Family Code, respondent Francisco, as the next immediate relative of Rica and Rina, is tasked to give support to his granddaughters in default of their parents.
Today, I continue to pay the monthly dues of the Federal Parents Plus loan that I applied for in 1994 to send Rico’s children to college. Rica and Rina continue to pay for their respective Stafford loans. (Technically, we are paying for the portion that Rico/Don Paco are responsible for.)
Rica graduated from Rutgers University and Rina from the University of Delaware. They are both successful in their chosen careers and are happily married: Rica to Matt Myklusch, a director of marketing, and Rina to Blair Gardiner, a Wall Street trader. Rica is expecting her firstborn this November—a son.
Today, the Delgados cry about delayed justice for Rico. They have accused their half brother of this crime. My daughters and I are not convinced that a thorough and credible investigation has been done. There are too many questions that remain too conveniently unanswered.
I have noticed that the Delgados all wear a pin that reads “Justice for Rico.” I would like to ask them to add to that—“Justice for Rico’s daughters,” and may they honor Rico—in death-by honoring his daughters, who are alive.
(Editor’s note: Given the opportunity to respond to this story, Jose Marie “Mayie” Delgado, Rico’s brother, said that they’ve been advised by their lawyer, Atty. Angel Cruz, to withhold comment. Because the final amount to be awarded the twins in child support has not yet been decided by the court, any comment on their part might be sub judice, Mr. Delgado said, quoting their lawyer. In G.R. No. 125041, the Supreme Court ordered that the case be remanded or returned to the trial court for the determination of the proper amount of support pendente lite for the twin daughters, and that the trial court proceed with the trial of the main case.)
Copyright 2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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