Single Asian President Seeks Soul Mate for Public Romance
Filipinos Obsess Over Favorite Son’s Antics; ‘These Guys Are the Kennedys, Dude’. Filipinos are grappling with terrorists in the south, allegations of corruption in the military and a recent fire that razed thousands of homes. But the topic that seems to hold the public’s endless fascination: the president’s love life.
Elected last year, president Benigno Aquino III is a balding, bespectacled, 51-year-old who tools around in a Porsche and has a fondness for tight-fitting clothes. A policy wonk known as “Noynoy,” the nation’s most eligible bachelor has split up with one girlfriend, dated another and is now wooing a third.
Headlines are relentless. “President, stockbroker an item,” reported the Manila Standard. “Yes, Aquino dating his stylist,” gushed the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “Shalani on Noynoy: It was instant attraction,” said ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.’s news site, referring to one ex, city councilor Shalani Soledad. Recently, the country’s most famous free agent warned reporters that it will “be on your conscience” if they interfere with his intimate moments.
The Philippines has never had a bachelor president before, and its people have long been fascinated with their leaders’ love lives. The fact that Mr. Aquino is the son of People Power icon Corazon Aquino and was thrust into the limelight on a wave of grief following her death two years ago adds another twist. Social networking websites such as Twitter are flush with sightings of the president out on dates, while Manila’s tabloid newspapers compete to publish pictures of Mr. Aquino out on the town.
Personally, I think it makes for more interesting politics! How boring are our political leaders with their frumpy wives? Look how President Sarkozy was so controversial! Carla Bruni brought class and style to France!
Remember when Billy Joel put an ad in the paper for a soulmate? No matter how rich and famous you are, finding a mate is always easy but finding “the right one” where the chemistry is mind-blowing and the person is your soulmate is extremely difficult. It is like finding a needle in a haystack!