Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Is this Manny Villar's house?

Got an email today. One look at it and I knew it was a demolition job. The email said it was presidential candidate Manny Villar's house but I've been to one of Villar's houses (we shot it for a magazine feature) and his decorating taste certainly does not look like this:

It looks like the White House!

The pool

Guests are received here

And they eat here

The master of the house sleeps here

Takes his baths here

There are many more photos but I'm lazy to post them all. I'm sure you'll get it in your inbox soon anyway, if you haven't already.

Like I said, I've seen how Villar lives. Villar's home decor is actually more shabby chic—floral, wood, comfy seating. I personally am not a fan of his taste in decor but hey, it's not my house! Besides, Villar is one of the richest men in the country so I always thought he'd have a fabulous house and it turns out he actually doesn't. Well, it's not ugly, not like it was constructed out of stainless steel drums, but he sure doesn't live as well as certain people I know! And one more dead giveaway that this ain't his: Villar loves photos. His house is literally covered with picture frames of him and his family. The house above has no photos.

Now, I'm not voting for Villar in May (I like another candidate. My only clue for you is he has a pretty wife) but I think this email is just disturbing.

This house isn't Villar's. I can tell because I'm a magazine editor. Those photos were obviously taken by a professional photographer—the flooded-with-light look gives it away. If Villar wanted to keep this house hush-hush, why would he have it photographed by a team of professionals? It's just stupid. As a journalist, I quickly investigated whose house this is and found this blog entry: Is This Really Mugabe's Mansion?. Mugabe is the president of Zimbabwe and he's been holding power since 1980, so he's like our Marcos.

Anyway, so now the house is supposedly Mugabe's but after further investigation, it turns out it also isn't! It supposedly belongs to the biggest movie star in the world. Who's that? Tom Cruise? Brad Pitt? Angelina Jolie? Puh-leeze. They don't even hold a candle to this guy! The biggest movie star in the world is Shah Rukh Khan, with a fan base of a billion. Yes, you read that right—a billion! He's Bollywood, baby, and everyone in the film industry knows that Hollywood is so much smaller than Bollywood.

Yes, I can believe that a guy who poses for pictures like this 
can live in a house as ridiculous as that!

What I'm trying to say is don't believe everything you read. Don't be gullible and don't be stupid. The elections are coming up so expect the mudslinging fest to commence. But don't get caught up in it. Be responsible and do not spread lies about other people even if you don't like that person!

UPDATE: According to snopes.com, it isn't Shah Rukh Khan's. Here's what the website that investigates urban legends says: "In fact, these photographs actually depict a home half a world away from Zimbabwe, a mansion in the tony Bel Air section of Los Angeles that has been extensively photographed inside and out because it is sometimes used as the site of location shooting for television and films."

UPDATE: That mansion "belongs" to either Lady Gaga or Robin Thicke! Someone sent me another email, you see, with the following videos and, wowza, that mansion looks even better when there are half-naked people romping in it!





I'm loving Lady Gaga's poison ring. WendyB has something similar called the Borgia Ring. I also love the legs and butt of the model who plays Robin's lover. Those legs and ass are fantabulous!

Manny Villar's team may rest easy now.



*actor's image from The Bollywood Zone.

11 comments:

  1. I have also been to one of Villar's houses and even entered the master's bedroom:)) The senator loves art and anything Pinoy. He's not so much into the colonial stuff.

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  2. to think that it was owned by a "MAN", mas maganda siguro na Industrial ang maging taste niya.

    looking at the photos, the house looks like victorian with a mixture of interiors found in middle eastern palaces.

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  3. Oooh, so you're voting for Gibo? :p [I am! :)]

    We always pass by Villar's place but all we ever get to see is the fencing (it's too high!). :)

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  4. wahaha everything about this post is so ridiculously funny frances! i love that it was supposedly mugabe's then it's owned by this bollywood star pala. makes it even more funny than ever!

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  5. Looks like a Bollywood star's home alright. This looks too lavish and intricate even for someone as wealthy as Manny Villar.

    This is one of the reasons I've always shied away from delving into politics. What people will do to get into power is unimaginable. This email smear campaign is still low on the mudslinging scale.

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  6. Oy, Anonymous at 3:53 PM, what were you doing in the senator's bedroom? At least si Ms Frances was in his house for a magzine shoot! Ikaw whats your excuse?

    Ms Frances, how galing naman your investigative powers!

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  7. Got the same email but didn't believe it. It's obviously a demolition job. Nung una nga I thought it was Aling Dionisia's mansion e hahaha! Wasn't able to watch TV bits about her house kasi so I don't know squat how her mansion looks like.

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  8. I was interviewing someone in the family and that person showed us the rooms. The house is super-neat and orderly. The art is to die for but not gaudy. FYI, it's the senator who collects art and he also plays the piano.

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  9. hi frances!

    i've received this email for 5 times already since this morning. i just replied to them with a link to this entry. hope it's ok =)

    i'm voting also for that candidate who has a pretty wife ;)

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  10. Im voting for the one with a pretty DAUGHTER :))

    Hehe

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  11. Is that really his house? It's very huge. I think it's great living in that place.

    virtual office

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