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This handout photo taken on December 23, 2011 and released by Malacanang on February 2, 2012 shows President Aquino talking to media personality Grace Lee prior to an interview at the Malacañan Palace in Manila. Aquino confirmed Wednesday he is dating the 29-year old native of South Korea. Photo by Gil Nartea, Malacañang Photo, AFP
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The altar.
That’s where Grace Lee says her relationship with President Benigno Aquino III is headed.
In her morning show “Good Times in the Morning” last Wednesday, the Korean-born radio and TV personality was asked by her New York-based co-anchor Mo Twister how long their relationship would last.
She replied, “The full length.”
Needled further on where she expected their dates would lead to, Lee answered, “The altar.” She added, “I’m praying for this.”
Aquino celebrated his birthday on Wednesday, Feb.8, the same day Lee said they were destined for the altar.
The romance between the 29-year-old Lee and the 52-year-old Aquino has been met with skepticism by many who have become used to the President’s short-lived romances. Among those linked to him in his almost two-year presidency are Valenzuela councilor Shalani Soledad, who recently married Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, stylist Liz Uy and stockbroker Len Lopez.
During the program, Mo Twister predicted the relationship to last until “August.”
He then opened the phone lines to the question, “How long will this (Aquino-Lee) relationship last?” One listener replied, “May.”
The bachelor president admitted two weeks ago that he has been dating Lee.
While Aquino asked media to grant him the privacy he said he was entitled to, Lee has been forthcoming in media interviews. She disclosed that she and the President would talk animatedly for three to five hours.
“He’s brilliant, he is the most intelligent man I’ve met in my life,” an obviously smitten Lee enthused, even describing the President as “a walking encyclopedia.”
Lee revealed in an off-camera talk with a TV host that the President had offered to provide her security courtesy of a team from the Presidential Security Group. This prompted Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte to say the Palace would still have to review whether or not the mandate of the PSG can cover even persons outside the President’s official family.
Lee’s talent manager Arnold Vegafria said the radio and TV jockey first met on June 27, 2011 at the inauguration of the Korea Electric Power Corp. in Barangay Colon in Naga, Cebu. He said the President was heard to have remarked that Lee was “guapa (pretty),” mistaking her to be Cebuana.
Their second meeting took place during the state visit of Korean president Lee Myung-bak in November, where Lee was in Malacañang as an interpreter and host of the event.
Before the end of 2011, Vegafria said the President granted Lee an interview in Malacanang for her radio show. “And that’s it,” he said.
In an earlier exclusive interview with TV5’s Luchi Cruz-Valdes for the show “Journo,” Lee admitted that the 22-year age difference between them sometimes bothers her. “But the more I get to know him, the less I feel the age difference,” she said.
Asked by Cruz-Valdes if she sees the relationship “pushing through already," Lee replied, “I don't think we're playing around. We're both not at the age to be playing around.”
In her radio show, Lee said she would try to convince the President to stop smoking.
She has met with two of the President’s elder sisters, Ballsy Cruz and Pinky Abellada, but has yet to meet his movie-and-TV-star sister, Kris Aquino.
Lee denied earlier rumors linking her romantically to Kris’ former husband, basketball star James Yap.
(VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for “true.”)