Center for Labor Education & Research, University of Hawaii - West Oahu: Honolulu Record Digitization Project
Honolulu Record, Volume 10 No. 7, Thursday, September 12, 1957 p. 1
Go-Getter Filipina Socialite Leaves Bum Check Trail Here
An attractive Filipina who travels in the highest social and political circles in the Philippines recently came here reportedly to collect $25,006 from a local syndicate for a down payment on a real estate tract 6n Mindoro Island and departed with two bogus checks bouncing around Honolulu.
Mrs. Elicio Quirino, wife of the former governor of Ilocos Sur and sister-in-law of the late president of the Philippines, checked in at the Alexander Young Hotel June 22 and left July 14. She stayed at Waikiki prior to that.
She wrote a check for $195.72 to the hotel before she left on a Sunday. When the Bishop National Bank opened for business Monday. It was found that she did not have funds do cover her draft.
A charming socialite, Mrs. Quirino did a great deal of shopping, telling local business people that it is difficult to import U.S. goods. She told all about her connections in the P.I. and people were impressed.
Bank Closed
At Leeds Shoe Store she bought merchandise and reportedly carried some of her parcels with her to her hotel. But she asked the Store to deliver the major bulk of her order on Saturday afternoon, a tune when Bishop National Bank had closed, for the weekend. She gave her check for $291 upon delivery of her merchandise.
The following day she departed on a President liner.
After she had left Hawaii, a friend of Mrs. Quirino's visited Leeds and told the management that the Filipina socialite did not leave sufficient funds to cover her check. However, this friend explained, Mrs. Quirino expected two remittances, one from Washington, B.C., and another from Manila, arid they would take care of the bogus check.
Wires Leeds
Subsequently, Mrs. Quirino wired Leeds from Manila, informing the shoe store that she was sending the $291 through Consul General Juan Dionicio who was arriving to take over his assignment here on Sept. 2.
Leeds waited and when Consul General Dionicio arrived, it was informed that Mr. Dionicio had never met Mrs. Quirino and does not know her at all.
Leeds has discussed the matter with the Philippines consulate general here and is planning to take action through the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.
Because Mrs. Quirino had informed Leeds that she wanted to buy more merchandise, that she expected to open shops in Manila and had opened a shop on Kauai, the management checked with a local businessman. Nothing conclusive was learned from the investigation. The businessman was of the impression that there was a store on Kauai in which Mrs. Quirino had an Interest:
Hotel’s Letter Returns
The RECORD checked further and learned that a store on Kauai is either operated by Jose Bulatao or Mrs. Quirino or is in the process of being opened.
Young Hotel, in trying to collect from Mrs. Quirino, sent her a registered letter. This returned unclaimed. This, some say, is strange since the Quirino’s are well known in the Philippines.
Mrs. Quirino mentioned to friends and others in Honolulu that her husband was running for vice president of the Philippines. A businessman in the Filipino community said he was of the impression that he was being urged to run for vice president but that he was interested in the Senate.
Husband Visited Here
At Leeds, Mrs. Quirino said her husband was a vice-presidential candidate. She also said that she had planned to tour the world but was called back suddenly from here, her first stop.
A businessman in the Filipino community said he, did not believe Mrs. Quirino had any criminal intent.
The Filipina's husband visited the islands several years ago when Elpidio Quirino was president and was involved in deals which resulted in local Filipinos losing large sums of their hard-earned savings.
Jose Bulatao who returned from a trip to Manila after Mrs. Quirino's arrival here reportedly discussed in 'business circles that he had negotiated a land-buying deal in the Philippines. Bulatao is associated with Alfred Kilantang and Frank Rania in MUDECO (Mutual Development Co.). Mrs. Quirino was supposed to have collected $25,000 down payment on the total price of about $150,000 for the land deal on Mindoro island from MUDECO. It is reported that this syndicate was unable to raise the money.
It is only common humanity to feed the hungry. If our hospitals are too big, too complex, too impersonal to do these small kindnesses for the sick, something is very wrong.