The name Maria Teresa Carlson might echo faintly for some, perhaps tied to the iconic line, “Si Ikaw, Si Ako.” For others, she remains unknown.

But in late 2001, just two weeks after the nation reeled from the loss of Nida Blanca, the Philippine showbiz world was shaken again by the tragic passing of another actress.

Maria Teresa Carlson, a former beauty queen and television star, reportedly fell from the 23rd floor of her apartment building in Greenhills, San Juan.

No witnesses saw the fall itself. But her housekeeper, Rochelle, recalled her employer’s final, terrified words: “Rochelle, hurry up! They’re after us!”

Moments later, Maria’s lifeless body was found below. Her skull was fractured in two.

Her life, especially after leaving the limelight, was marred by stories of profound suffering. Her passing immediately sparked accusations against her powerful husband.

Others suggested it was a tragic act of despair due to mental instability. Yet, many doubted she would willingly leave her beloved children.

The San Juan police quickly declared no foul play, ruling her passing a self-ending. Let’s delve into the sad life of Maria Teresa Carlson.

Maria Teresa Carlson was born in Manila on October 15, 1962, but grew up in San Francisco, California. Her mother, Zenaida Guerrero Rojas, hailed from Zambales, while her father was American.

At 16, during a family vacation, Maria fell in love with the Philippines and decided to stay. Dreaming of becoming a beauty queen, her natural beauty and intelligence led her to win the Miss Young Philippines crown in 1979.

She represented the country at the Miss Young International pageant in Tokyo. Her charm quickly caught the entertainment industry’s eye.

Beyond her beauty, she was funny and articulate. She landed a role in the popular sitcom “Chicks to Chicks,” which aired from 1979 to 1987 on IBC.

She starred alongside veterans like Nova Villa and Freddie Webb. The show famously popularized the Filipino slang term “manyakis,” amplified by Chito Arceo’s character, Chiqui.

It was on this sitcom that Maria’s catchphrase, “Si Ikaw, Si Ako,” delivered in her charmingly accented Tagalog, made her one of the first widely beloved Filipino-American stars.

Beyond television, she appeared in seven films, often alongside famous comedians like Chiquito, Redford White, and the trio Tito, Vic, and Joey.

In 1982, her life took a significant turn when she met Rodolfo Castro Fariñas. Her “Chicks to Chicks” co-star, Freddie Webb, introduced them.

Webb recalled inviting Maria to Laoag for a basketball game, knowing she wasn’t busy. Fariñas, born September 5, 1951, was already a rising political star.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Ateneo de Manila University in 1971 and finished law school there in 1978, placing 8th in the Philippine Bar examinations that year with an impressive rating.

He entered politics at just 28, becoming one of the youngest mayors in Philippine history when elected mayor of Laoag in 1980.

His administration saw progress in Laoag City, and Manila magazines described him as a “dashing bachelor” and “flamboyant playboy.” He already had two children with a previous longtime girlfriend.

Reports from his Ateneo days paint a different picture: a “spoiled brat” from a wealthy family owning bus lines in Ilocos Norte, known for driving flashy cars, womanizing, and partying.

A dean reportedly suggested he transfer schools, stating, “You’re making a mockery of our standards here.” But his academic brilliance kept him enrolled.

He famously brought bold star Vivian Velez to campus to prove she was his girlfriend and was allegedly involved in a scandalous private video tape controversy. Despite this, he graduated in 1978.

When he met Maria, he was the powerful mayor of Laoag. They quickly became close and began living together.

They married in Las Vegas in 1983, followed by a church ceremony in Laoag. Fariñas leveraged Maria’s popularity in his subsequent political campaigns, affectionately calling her “Whitey.”

Her beauty and personality endeared her to the people of Ilocos. Co-star Carmi Martin described her as “bubbly, stunningly beautiful, like a Virgin Mary… like a doll.”

Their union produced six children: one daughter and five sons. In a 1996 Manila Times interview, Maria admitted she was initially drawn to Fariñas’s position and connections.

But she added, “He had a great personality. He was down-to-earth… basically a good person. Smart and intelligent.”

However, hints of Fariñas’s impatience surfaced even during campaigns. Reporter Sheila Coronel witnessed him snap at Maria in front of Ilocanos, “Faster, Whitey, or else I will dump you!”

Maria was a beautiful and supportive political wife, but behind the scenes, she struggled. She suffered from scoliosis, a spinal curvature affecting her heart, causing fatigue and palpitations.

Soon, Fariñas’s alleged mistreatment became public knowledge. In 1996, Maria sent a letter to then-Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, a known supporter of Fariñas.

The letter detailed horrific physical mistreatment, alleging Fariñas beat her until she was black and blue and subjected her to water torture. She pleaded for help escaping his control, adding her thumbprint to verify the letter’s authenticity.

The press seized upon the story, making their troubled marriage headline news. While pregnant with their sixth child, Maria gave a harrowing interview to the investigative show “Probe” in October 1996.

She recounted the progression of the alleged mistreatment: “In the beginning, occasional slaps… then physical harm and beatings. He put me in a box… put a firearm in my mouth… put a wet towel on my face and poured Sprite or 7-Up or water.”

Maria clarified she wasn’t seeking money or trying to shame Fariñas; she simply wanted her freedom. She explicitly stated her desire for an annulment.

Further investigation revealed this wasn’t her first cry for help. Reporter Nini Valera recalled Maria slipping her a note in 1988 saying, “Help me. I am being tormented.”

During that interview at the mayor’s house, Fariñas sat nearby, cleaning his firearm. When he briefly left, Valera noticed Maria using powder to cover apparent cigarette burns on her chin.

Maria also sought help from agencies. In 1992, she called the hotline of K⚫L⚫K⚫S⚫N, an NGO for abused women. Initially, she just cried, not naming her abuser.

Three years later, she identified herself but spoke sporadically, often saying, “They are watching me,” before hanging up and calling back when she felt safe.

Shockingly, after the explosive “Probe” interview in 1996, Maria reconciled with Fariñas. A Cosmopolitan magazine article speculated she had no money, no government protection, and needed support for her impending childbirth, leaving her no choice.

She gave birth to their sixth son on her 34th birthday in October 1996. Soon after, she and Fariñas appeared on “Magandang Gabi Bayan,” where she retracted all her previous statements.

She told reporter Noli de Castro she had been emotional due to pregnancy hormones. “Maybe because I was pregnant… I wasn’t beautiful to him anymore… just motherhood, just a housewife.”

Fariñas, in the same interview, blamed the media for intruding on a private marital spat. He located Maria because she insisted on giving birth at the same hospital as her previous children.

He claimed a special police team arrived to “protect” her during childbirth, after which they reconciled.

Reporter Marites Vitug suggested Maria wanted children annually, believing pregnancy was her only protection from her husband’s cruelty.

Others corroborated Maria’s allegations. Former Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Rolando Abadilla and former Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile reportedly witnessed Fariñas physically harming his wife, with Enrile specifically mentioning seeing him choke her.

Rumors also surfaced about Fariñas’s alleged substance abuse, claiming he would drug Maria before relations and use her body as an ashtray.

The most disturbing accusations involved him allegedly allowing his bodyguards to violate her while he was under the influence.

Despite these controversies, Fariñas remained a political force: 10 years as Laoag mayor, then governor, then congressman. His momentum seemingly stalled in 1998 after his father’s passing, followed by his brother’s the next year, and his own congressional loss in 2001.

On November 20, 2001, Maria, desperate, went to the Malacañang Palace gates with her housekeeper, Rochelle, seeking help. Presidential guards turned them away.

She pleaded with staff in the palace parking lot to speak with any official, but protocol prevented it. Dejected, they returned to her Greenhills apartment building.

According to Rochelle, Maria became frantic, locking doors and windows, claiming they were being followed by people wanting to harm them.

Then came Maria’s terrified cry: “Rochelle, hurry up! They’re after us!” She ran out of the room. Rochelle took the elevator down to get security guards to help calm Maria.

When Rochelle returned with a guard, Maria was gone. They searched the building, including the rooftop, but couldn’t find her.

Around 2:00 AM, a security guard reported hearing a loud thud on the third floor earlier. Rochelle and the guard rushed there and found Maria’s body.

She had fallen from her 23rd-floor unit in the Platinum 2000 building, adjacent to where Nida Blanca had been found weeks earlier. Maria Teresa Carlson was declared de@d on the spot at age 38.

Police arrived. Tenants confirmed no one saw her jump. Rochelle recounted Maria’s final fearful words and actions.

A PNP medico-legal officer declared no foul play. The local San Juan police investigation reached the same conclusion, ruling it a self-ending, though detailed reports on their methodology are scarce.

That same day, Maria’s body was flown to Ilocos Norte, where Fariñas received her remains. 2001 marked both Maria’s passing and Fariñas’s electoral defeat.

Fariñas never remarried. He told Rappler he dedicated his time to his children, driving them to school, attending meetings, and taking them on vacations. He claimed prayer, not therapy, helped him cope.

Local journalist Juliet Pascual noted a change in Fariñas after Maria’s passing; his intimidating aura seemed diminished. He eventually returned to politics, serving as House Majority Leader before retiring again.

Three of his children with Maria followed him into politics. Their daughter, Ria Christina, became Congresswoman of Ilocos Norte. Sons Rudy Cesar and Rodolfo Christian also hold political positions. Tragically, another son, Rodolfo Jr., passed in a car accident in 2015.

After Maria’s passing, Task Force Maria, comprising 23 women’s groups, accused the Commission on Human Rights of inaction, revealing Maria had also sought their help to no avail.

Their advocacy was instrumental in the passage of Republic Act 9262, the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act, signed into law in March 2004, providing legal protection Maria never had.