Memorable interviews – Lala Rimando

The 13‑Hour Meralco meeting: Inside one of the most dramatic shareholders’ battles I’ve covered

In May 2008, Meralco’s annual stockholders’ meeting turned into a 13‑hour corporate siege—boos and chants, dead microphones, SEC orders, and a walk‑out press conference in a nearby mall. This eyewitness account traces how that day unfolded and how it quietly set up the end of Lopez control of Meralco.

[2009] Lopez family: Sale of Meralco stake ‘a business decision’

This was among the few times the Lopez family members admitted publicly the pain and rift behind-the-scenes in the deals involving Meralco, the business power company in the country they once controlled. This was published in 2009 on the news sites of ABS-CBN and Newsbreak, both of which are now dead links. Reposting the story’s…

Central bank gov Nestor Espenilla Jr, my kindred spirit gone too soon

We had several things in common: powerful foes, health woes, and more

Goodbye….

Two were lost last weekend: Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao’s bout with Floyd Mayweather, and Evangeline Escobillo’s life. “Tita Vangie,” as I have called her after we have moved on from our source and reporter roles to being friends, was always full of life that it is hard to imagine she is no longer alive. I…

Intimidation

It was an interview that lasted for more than four hours—10am to 2:15pm, to be exact. The first hour was spent with the former general and the talkative lawyer basically taking over. The reason for their presence was obvious: to intimidate us.