In the world of Philippine showbiz and politics, few figures command the same level of respect and admiration as Lucy Torres-Gomez. Known for her porcelain skin, soft-spoken elegance, and impeccable fashion sense, she has long been regarded as the epitome of grace. Today, she serves her constituents as the dedicated Mayor of Ormoc City, far removed from the glitz of the entertainment industry. However, for those who remember the early 2000s, Lucy’s pristine image was once the target of one of the most persistent and bizarre urban legends in local pop culture history. It was a rumor that whispered of a dark secret hidden behind her angelic face: the allegation that she was a kleptomaniac who had been caught shoplifting at Rustan’s, the country’s premier luxury department store.

The story, which circulated through the era’s “blind items” and text brigades, was incredibly detailed. It alleged that Lucy, despite her immense wealth, had a compulsion to steal high-end items. The rumor mill claimed that she had been caught red-handed by security cameras at Rustan’s in Makati. As the story went, her husband, actor Richard Gomez, rushed to the scene to settle the matter, paying double the price of the stolen goods to buy the store’s silence and ensure the CCTV footage was destroyed or hidden forever. Some versions of the tale even claimed that the family had to hire a personal security guard whose sole job was to shadow Lucy and ensure she didn’t unknowingly pocket items during her shopping trips.

For a long time, the couple chose to remain silent. Lucy, in her characteristic dignified manner, initially refused to dignify the gossip with a response. “I would not dignify the rumor with an answer,” she famously told a magazine in 2005. She believed, as many do, that addressing a lie only gives it power. However, the silence inadvertently allowed the rumor to fester. In the absence of a denial, the public’s imagination ran wild. The gossip became so widespread that it entangled respected broadcast journalists. Names like Ces Drilon and Karen Davila were dragged into the narrative, with whispers suggesting that Davila herself was in possession of the incriminating surveillance tape.

The tipping point came when the rumor threatened to overshadow their actual lives. Realizing that silence was no longer an option, Richard and Lucy decided to confront the issue head-on. They reached out to the journalists named in the rumors. In a clarifying exchange, Ces Drilon explained that she had merely been verifying the rumors with a source, not spreading them as fact. Karen Davila, for her part, categorically denied possessing any such tape, stating that she, too, was a victim of the misinformation swirling around the couple. The supposed “smoking gun”—the CCTV footage—simply did not exist.

The most damning piece of evidence against the rumor came from the establishment itself. The management of Rustan’s issued a statement denying that any such incident ever occurred. There was no apprehension, no double payment, and certainly no destroyed footage. The entire narrative was a fabrication. So, where did it come from? The timing of the rumor offered the most plausible explanation. At the height of the gossip, Richard Gomez was embarking on a political career. Their talent manager at the time, Douglas Quijano, posited that the rumors were a calculated demolition job—a smear campaign designed to derail Richard’s senatorial bid by attacking his wife’s character. In the cutthroat world of politics, painting the candidate’s wife as mentally unstable was a dirty but effective tactic.

Lucy challenged the public: if there was proof, let it be shown. “Lakasan ng loob,” she dared her detractors. Years passed, and despite the ubiquity of the rumor, not a single shred of evidence ever surfaced. No security guard came forward, no shop assistant sold their story, and no grainy footage was ever leaked to the internet. The “Rustan’s Incident” was revealed to be nothing more than a modern myth, fueled by the public’s fascination with the idea that even the perfect woman could have a fatal flaw.

Today, Lucy Torres-Gomez has moved far beyond the whispers of the past. Her transition from a TV personality to a public servant has been marked by competence and integrity. As a Congresswoman and now as Mayor, she has championed projects for education, health, and community development in Leyte. Her work ethic and leadership have proven that she is defined not by the clothes she wears or the rumors she ignores, but by the service she renders to her people.

The resurgence of this story in online discussions serves as a reminder of the pre-internet era’s vulnerability to unchecked gossip. In a time before fact-checking was a click away, a text message could destroy a reputation. Yet, Lucy’s endurance stands as a testament to her strength. She weathered the storm with her head held high, proving that the truth, while sometimes slower than a lie, eventually wins the race. The CCTV footage remains “missing” for the simple reason that it never existed, and the only thing Lucy Torres has been guilty of stealing is the hearts of her constituents in Ormoc.