Plinky Recto Finds Her Voice

Covered the GABRIELA presscon where the highlight was TV Host Plinky Recto. Will blog later.. but do watch my story on TV Patrol at 6:30 tonight.


You can also read the GABRIELA statement on the News Central blog.

...continuing my blog

There she was, Plinky Recto, beautiful as ever. I remember watching her as the classy, sassy, articulate host of the once top rating program "It's a Date." She was the proverbial "it" girl, close-up model, "crush ng bayan." From TV personality she tranformed herself to a Pilates Fitness Guru and now at 38, she looks stunning.

My daydreaming abruptly ended when I heard them shouting "Karahasan sa Kababaihan! Labanan! Wakasan!" over and over again. I suddenly realized where I was. Treehouse, Kapihan sa Cypress. Most reporters would know right away that this is the common venue for presscons held by militant groups such as Gabriela. I remember coming here every Saturday and to the Kapihan sa Sulu every Sunday when I was still in the General Assignments beat. But never in my wildest dreams would I imagine Ms. Plinky Recto in a Kapihan.

"Karahasan sa Kababaihan! Labanan! Wakasan!" I heard them say it again and again and again. Poor Plinky looked uneasy as she tried to open her mouth once, twice to utter the words along with other members of Gabriela while the press photographers and cameramen eagerly took their shots. Clearly she was out of place. In the end, though, she stood her ground and managed to say the words with confidence. Yes! I finally got my opening video.

If you watch TV Patrol World you would know by now that Plinky came out two days ago in an exclusive interview with Mario Dumaual saying she suffered physical and emotional abuse from her partner, the father of her one-year-old boy.

I couldn’t believe it as I watched Mario’s report and heard her say that she now has a permanent neck injury, two of her fingers are numb, and that she has to take medication 24/7 since he started beating her up in June this year. She filed a criminal complaint before the NBI in July. She also filed a petition under RA 9262, the “Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004” (My Gad! Only in 2004).

The question now of course is why would someone like Plinky Recto, whose brother is a Vice-Governor (Ricky Recto), another a Senator (Ralph) and a sister-in-law who’s a Mayor (no less than Vilma Santos) want to come out in the open?

A source tells me this guy is that powerful. He is a prominent legal counsel who handles high profile cases. Aside from supposedly stalking her, breaking her car windows and getting her lawyer’s car tires flattened, Plinky says, "he is capable of anything." Plinky now fears for her life and her family’s after he allegedly gave them death threats.

In other words, she may be a Recto and all, pero nakahanap siya ng nakatapat. Not crazy katapat, but katapat in terms of influence and resources. Now she says she has no choice but to turn to the media for her case to prosper. Her lawyer said, “Its sad, despite all these hearings, the end is not yet in sight.”

Plinky came out in the open on her own. She admitted the Rectos were shocked, but gave her their support. You see, she didn’t tell her brothers it was that bad until of late. She said that it has always been in her personality to keep her problems to herself and not include her family. But she also knows she’s a public figure, and now that everyone knows she’s a victim of violence, there is no turning back, it’s time to fight!

If you meet Plinky in person, you see right away she’s nice, perhaps too nice especially when it comes to men. She said it herself, “Perhaps my character flaw is that I take and I take and you think the person you love will change. You believe this is it, this is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with (pauses) well I think it’s the story of a woman in love.”

Some people may blame Plinky, like the 22-year old Subic victim, who some say “was asking for it.” That is just b-ll. Nobody has the right to abuse women under any circumstance. Period.

Now...where is my songbook...ahh...here it is...sing with me...My Love is Dangerous by Freddie Mercury.

My love is dangerous, dangerous, my love is dangerous,
Always make you bleed, always makes you bleed,
Always make you bleed - love is dangerous.

Don't follow in my footsteps, you don't belong to me
You only make a mistake, don't try and understand me,
Don't try and understand me, all I'm trying to say -

My love is dangerous, dangerous, love is dangerous
Make everybody cry, everybody cry
Everybody cry - love is dangerous.

Don't waste your time with loving, love don't work for me
Don't try to show your feelings
Step carefully - step carefully, all I'm trying to say-

My love is dangerous, because I'm your enemy
Watch your step carefully
'cause I know, I know, I know, I know, I know me
Dangerous, no can give you guarantee, I'm your one day ecstasy
Next day no

Dangerous, ooo dangerous, Love is dangerous,
Love is dangerous, love is dangerous,
All I'm really trying to say to you - love is dangerous

No go play fire with me - fire dance for me
You no can take a pisstake
Don't go criricise me, no go analyze me,
All I'm trying to say -

My love is dangerous, because I'm your enemy
Watch your step carefully
'cause I know, I know, I know, I know, I know me
Dangerous, no can give you guarantee, I'm your one day ecstasy
Next day no

Dangerous, dangerous, my love is dagerous
Always make you bleed
Always make you bleed
Always make you bleed
love is............