CelebritiesCorner: DODY OR DODIE PUNO, WHO IS HE?

2.01.2008

DODY OR DODIE PUNO, WHO IS HE?

Many people asked, who is Dodie or Dody Puno.

This news from GMA7 gives the profile of the man who was rumored to have offered Gretchen Barreto that Tonyboy could not give her--marriage.

But the reason, says this friend, that Gretchen’s dalliance with Dody took a serious turn, where the one with John did not, is because Dody offered marriage. And while Tonyboy is on a league of his own money-wise, Dody comes from an influential family with means. Dody is the brother of Atty. Ricardo “Dong" Puno of ABS-CBN’s News & Current Affairs, Atty. Reggie Puno of ABS-CBN’s legal office, and Secretary Ronaldo “Ronnie" Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government, putting the family within President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s powerful circle.

However, Dody’s offer of marriage does not surprise his friends, according to a showbiz insider. In his words, “Style niya talaga yun. Marami na siyang napangakuan ng kasal dati."

As far as everyone knows, the fellow is single. He is known to say that his marriage to Baby Pijuan, the sister of former Miss International Aurora Pijuan, was annulled when he was 35 years old. (He is now 58.) Baby and Dody have three grown-up children, one of whom manages Alchemy, the club Dody owns.

After he separated from Baby, reports say, he lived with Vicky Garcia, a commercial model and beauty queen in the ‘80s. He had two children with her. He is said to have offered marriage to Vicky, who is herself well-off.

But in the mid-‘80s, before Dody could marry Vicky, he fell for beauty queen and actress Alma Concepcion. They have one child. He also offered Alma marriage. But up to the time Alma split from Dody, there was no trip to the altar. Still, the two remain friends, and were last seen together publicly in last year’s birthday party for their seven-year-old son.

Since then, there have been rumors of liaisons with showbiz stars, including Ara Mina. But also within the last seven years, says a showbiz editor who knows Dody, he has been with a non-showbiz girlfriend. Whether he offered marriage to her or not is not known. What is known is that while he was with the girl, he fell for Gretchen—and offered Gretchen marriage.