"Karma ba kita?"

That was one of the memorable lines Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso dished out while wooing his wife Diana Lynn "Dynee" Domagoso back in the 90s.

"Ang harsh [ng karma]," Dynee said in an interview with TV host Boy Abunda as she recalled her love story with Isko, who was then-councilor-actor-businessman.

Isko had asked common friend Ali Atienza, son of then-Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, to introduce him to me, Dynee said.

" ’Kala ko pinagtritripan lang ako kasi amongst my friends, that time, ako lang ang may anak na. Everyone was single so akala ko pinagtritripan lang niya ako," she said.

(I thought he was not serious because amongst my friends, that time, I was the only one with a child. Everyone else was single so I though it was a prank.)

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"Nagkakilala kami, hindi na siya umalis sa tabi ko," she added, noting that she didn't like Isko at that time. (After we met, he never left my side.)

Dynee, who has a black belt in taekwondo and was part of the Philippine national team, said back then she was in a long distance relationship with the father of her son, Patrick.

"That time kasi loyal ako . . . So para lang umalis siya I said something na akala ko tatagos sa kaniya. Ay hindi, wala siyang pakialam," she said.

(At that time, I was loyal . . . Just so he'd leave me alone, I said something that I though would hurt him. But it didn't matter to him.)

"Sabi ko, 'Alam mo I just watched your movie a few times . . . Ang baduy mo mag-English,'" she recalled.

(I said, 'You know I just watched your movie a few times . . . Your English is funny.)

"Sabi niya, 'Ah, trabaho lang ’yun.' Hindi siya umalis. As in pinanindigan niya na nakatingin siya sa akin the whole time," she said.

(He said, 'That's just work.' He still didn't leave my side and he looked at me the whole time.)

A day after that fateful meeting in Malate, Dynee said she confronted Isko and turned him down before he could even make a move on her.

"The day after I met him, I told him, 'I think you like me but don't waste your time. I have a boyfriend and I have a son with my boyfriend,'" she said.

But Isko was relentless and urged her that they could settle for a friendship.

A week after, Dynee said a inebriated councilor Domagoso sought her out at a bar in Malate, stormed through the crowd and told her point blank: "Alam mo, karma ba kita?" (Are you my karma?)

"Alam mo kasi ang dami namang ibang babae diyan, bakit ikaw pa? Alam mo, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, because I love you."

(You know there are so many women out there, but why do I still like you? You know I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, because I love you.)

Dynee was smiling as she recalled the story: "Lahat ng tao sa Library palakpakan. 'Yun pala wala na pa lang nagsho-show, lahat pala nakikinig na lang sa akin."

The line, which seemed to be pulled straight out of the actor-politician's movies, seemed to have won the taekwondo athlete over, as Dynee eventually ended up breaking up with her first-born's father.

"After 1 month, sinagot ko na siya (Isko) kasi baka mauntog, magbago isip so ayoko na magpakipot ng ganu’n kahaba," she said giggling at the fond memory.

(After 1 month, we made our relationship official before he could come to his senses, before he could change his mind.)

PROPOSING AFTER A WEEK

If their courtship seemed to have been fast, their road to marriage came a lot quicker.

Just a week after putting a label on their relationship, the pair decided to tie the knot.

It started as a joke, Dynee told Abunda.

"Nasa Skyway kami, hahatid niya ako papuntang Las Piñas. It was almost his birthday . . . I asked, 'What gift do you want for your birthday?'" she said.

(We were on the Skyway, he was taking me home to Las Piñas. It was almost his birthday . . . I asked, 'What gift do you want for your birthday?')

Domagoso said he didn't really want anything as he was contented with what he had then: careers in politics and in entertainment, a business, his mother was in good health, and he had a girlfriend.

"Sabi ko, 'Gusto mo, pakasal tayo?'" she said.

(I asked him, 'Do you want to get married?')

"It was a damn joke. I didn't know he was gonna take it seriously," she said.

The proposal happened in mid-October, and by December 8 Isko was already in his best suit, waiting for Dynee at a hotel room to be wed at a civil ceremony unbeknownst to her parents.

"Ian de Leon one of the witnesses and some his friends, his staff. We were supposed to do it in one of the hotels here in Malate," she said.

"Hindi ako nakarating." (I did not come.)

SURPRISE WEDDING

Dynee said she was tending to her sick son that day, and couldn't lie to her mother who asked her if she was getting married on December 8.

"Sabi ko kasi sa kaniya, nalaman ng mommy ko. Sabi ko ’wag na lang natin ituloy. Let's just postpone it for a day kasi nahihiya ako magsinungaling," she said.

"Doon kong unang narinig na, 'Kapag gusto, Dynee, maramaing paraan ’pag ayaw maraming dahilan' . . . Hindi ako nakarating kasi mayroon akong dahilan."

Isko's disappointment over being stood up in his wedding did not deter him from marrying his then-girlfriend of 2 months.

On January 10, Isko picked up Dynee from her school in Taft while she was on a 5-hour break from her classes, and took her to a restaurant in Malate where they had a simple civil ceremony.

"I was wearing my typical punit-punit na jeans," she said, smiling as she recalled her wedding day. "As in umuwi ako nang may singsing."

Dynee's parents knew about her new civil status a month after the wedding when Isko formally asked them if Dynee could move out of their family home in Las Piñas and live with him in Tondo.

Twenty-two years and 4 more kids later, Dynee is now being asked what kind of first lady she hopes to be should her husband snag the presidency in the 2022 national elections.

DYNEE AS A POSSIBLE FIRST LADY

"Kung si Isko magiging presidente, mas lalong mawawalan ng isang magulang na present sa mga anak ko so I really have to work double time," she said in the interview taped in her husband's campaign headquarters in Intramuros.

(If Isko becomes president, my children will have one less parent present so I really have to work double time.)

"Kailangan ko pa rin ituloy kung paano pangalagaan ang asawa ko
so I have to stay as a mother, as a wife," she said.

(I still need to continue caring for my husband so I have to stay as a mother, as a wife.)

Isko tends to forget about meals while he is working, Mrs. Domagoso said.

"Kaya niya magkape ng buong araw lang," she said. (He can just drink coffee all day.)

"Hindi pa ’yan mahilig mag-vitamins." (He isn’t into taking vitamins.)

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Aside from caring for the Manila mayor's health, Dynee said she also looks after his husband's moral compass, regardless if he wins the presidency or not.

"Very open 'yung communication namin ni Papa. Na-realize namin ’yan when he stopped from politics last time in 2016," she shared, referring to Domagoso's failed senatorial bid.

(We are very open when it comes to communication. We realized that when he stopped politics last time in 2016.)

"He felt na para siyang nalagasan, nawalan ng kaibigan at naramdaman din niya na at the end of the day, ako lang talaga ’yung No. 1 fan niya.
Pero at the same time sinasabi ko din sa kaniya kapag hindi ako kumportable, kapag hindi ko gusto ’yung ginagawa niya," she said.

(He felt he lost something, he lost friends and he felt that at the end of the day, I am his No. 1 fan. But at the same time I tell him when I am not comfortable, if I do not like what he does.)

When she calls him out, Isko would remind her that she needs to be supportive as a wife, but Dynee would respond in her usual sweet but assertive tone: "Mali, Papa. Mahal kita, kaya ko sinasabi na mali ’yan."

(You're wrong, Papa. I love you that's why I tell you when you're doing something wrong.)

"I call him my best friend. Wala kaming tinatago sa isa't isa, 'yun ang pagkakaalam ko."

(We do not hide anything from each other as far as I know.)

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If there is time to spare, Dynee said she would help out in improving the country's sports programs to pay homage to her athletic roots.

But while her husband has yet to be named the 17th president of the Philippines, Dynee said she is focused on helping Isko in his campaign.

"Kung ano ang ginagawa niya ngayon (Whatever he's doing now), I'm trying to duplicate it because I'm the closest to him, like a surrogate," she said.

"Ako yung nagpapaliwanag, nagpapakilala sa tao kung sino si Isko."

(I am the one who explains, who introduces Isko to the people.)

When asked how she plans to deal with her husband's critics, Dynee said: "Bahala na ang Diyos sa inyo (I will let God deal with you)."

"Sana balang araw makita ninyo ’yung totoong Isko."

(I hope one day you get to learn who the real Isko is.)