Former Shalani Soledad Senate Boss, Ping Lacson, Comes to Her Aid Advising Kris Aquino's to Go Easy on Her Future Sister-in-Law

6 September 2009

Those of us who have some idea who Shalani Soledad is knows that she used to be a Senate staffer for Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson. Now, Ping has joined the fray with an unsolicited advice to Kris Aquino who repeatedly "requested" her brother Noynoy Aquino on national TV at ABS-CBN's SNN (Showbiz News Ngayon) to "please stay single" even in the event that he becomes President — Noynoy Aquino, after all, is potentially the first bachelor President of the Philippines.

Kris subsequently made a public apology to her brother but judging from the intense reacton, many Filipinos have had enough of Kris Aquino's meddling with Noynoy's lovelife. It is clear that Kris Aquino crossed the line right there and she herself knew it.  

Now Ping is telling Kris to go easy on would-be-sister-in-law Shalani Soledad.

These articles tell us more about Senator Ping Lacson's unsolicited advice to Kris Aquino:

Lacson to Kris:  Let Noynoy decide if he wants a first lady

Ping to Kris: Lay off your brother's lovelife

I'm sure I'm one of millions of SNN viewers who were shocked by Kris' outburst. But there must be a reason why Kris said what she said.  Let me list some of the possibilities:

1)  Kris wants to protect and reassure her son Josh whom we know is very close to Noynoy.  Josh apparently has not fully come to terms with Noynoy getting married one day. Maybe it's Kris' way of telling Josh, "I'll try to delay Noynoy's marriage for as long as I can" (even if she doesn't really mean it). Josh reportedly has elevated blood pressure, enough reason for his mother Kris to try to do everything that she believes will help Josh cope with a medical condition aside from the looming prospect of Josh' losing the lavish attention that his Tito Noy is able to give him now. 

2) Kris is acting like a mother to Noynoy or, Kris is being over-protective of Noynoy. Let's remember that all their lives, Cory's children have been under her protective wings.  So much so that President Cory even reportedly went out of her way to seek the help of the INC for Noynoy when he ran for Senator. With their mother gone, Kris is playing Cory's role vis-a-vis Noynoy even if it means treating him as a 19-year-old instead of a 49-year-old.  

3)  Kris is simply Kris and I believe that requires no explanation.  You simply have to accept her for who she is or reject her on the same basis.

I really don't believe that Kris has reason to dislike Shalani.  She herself said that Shalani had merienda with them one day and that Josh and Baby James approve of her future sister-in-law. 

In any event, Kris has apologized to Noynoy and to her viewers.  It will do her well if we pray for her as she has requested us to do. 

Noynoy will need her kid sister Kris once he gets into the thick of the presidential fray. They've done this before, teaming up while campaigning for their father Ninoy in 1978, unfazed by the KBL bloc voting monolith which was invincible at that time. I've seen and heard them speak while they were on the campaign trail when Kris was only seven years old. They make a formidable pair. With both Ninoy and Cory gone, Kris and Noynoy will do it again in 2010. Kris needs to fortify herself and our prayers, patience and understanding will go a long way towards ensuring that that will happen.