Why I go out of my way for Sen. Loren

Normally, I wouldn’t cross that invisible border that divides the people from GMA 7 and ABS-CBN. But Leah Salterio, formerly with a rival paper, but who is now with Channel 2 said that our kumare, Loren Legarda, insisted that I be at the press launch of Tara, Tena, the lady senator’s new Saturday morning program on ABS-CBN.

The invitation seemed like a dare for me to go to an alien territory that, ironically, was my playground for five years and a half. Although I don’t particularly enjoy challenges anymore at this point in my life (must be age), I still accepted the invitation because I really wanted to see Loren. The last time we talked was when she called me up to send her holiday cheers shortly before New Year’s Day. It wasn’t a long conversation that we had. I was on my way home to Baguio then and when her call came, I was about to negotiate the uphill Marcos Highway where there was no signal. I tried returning her call when I got back from the holiday break, but somehow, we were never able to talk anymore.

Going to the press launch of her new show (never mind if it’s in the rival station) would give us the chance to swap stories about our families and our lives. Unfortunately, I had engine trouble on that day and I had to pass by the auto shop before going to ABS-CBN (Believe me, it was as if there was an invisible force that was stopping me from going to Channel 2 that day).

When I finally got to ABS-CBN, I didn’t know where to park and when I was finally assisted by the network security (but, sigh, with much hesitation), I didn’t know where to go. There were a lot of changes, since I was there last – about two years ago when I appeared in Cinematalk in the station’s cable network – and I was hopelessly lost. Mercifully, I bumped into Maridol Bismark, assistant entertainment editor of this paper, who showed me which elevator to take to the 13th floor where the press presentation of Tara, Tena was being conducted.

Too bad, when I got there, the event had already concluded and Loren was rushing to the Senate for a 3 p.m. session. What she did was grab me by the arm and asked me to come with her to the Senate – with the promise that she’ll send me back in another vehicle to get my car.

No, you wise guys, she couldn’t possibly take me for a ride – as in the figurative speech – because we know each other too well. But I was starved, I protested. Bless her, she gave me five minutes to inhale my lunch of ginisang bean sprouts (togue in everyday kitchen parlance) and what must have been adobo (I ate so fast I didn’t even have time to look at my plate).

On our way to the Senate – via España – we were held in traffic. I asked her why she didn’t have a wang-wang (you know, that blaring siren used by politicians). She said that only the Senate president is entitled to that. Of course, there are a lot of overbearing politicians (many of whom are even lower in rank) who play god on the road and push other vehicles to the side with their wang-wangs, back-up cars and motorcycle-riding escorts. But Loren – ever so humble and unassuming – would never do that. So suffer in traffic she did. We did.

That wasn’t a particularly pleasant day for her. She had been nursing a flu that wouldn’t go away and was having a migraine attack on top of that.

Inside the vehicle, she put her feet up, sucked on a piece of Stork and closed her eyes while we talked. I’ve seen her like this a lot of times before and I knew that I still had her undivided attention. That was her relaxation for the day.

Since traffic was really bad, our conversation was long and was interrupted only by the ringing of her cell phone.

Initially, we talked about our families and I was particularly curious about her first-born, Lanz, and how this 13-year-old boy is able to come up with serious pieces (mostly about foreign films) for the Young Star section of this paper (I knew this kid when he was still in his mother’s womb!). The boy is a genius, I swear. (He started writing poetry at age five). The proud Mom says that Lanz wants to be a filmmaker someday. He must be on the right track. National Artist Eddie Romero also started writing for national publications at around that age.

The younger child, Lean, on other hand, is good in numbers and is class president. (Both kids are getting their education from the lap of the Jesuits.)

Her husband, Tony Leviste, meanwhile, still serves as the chairman of the Philippine Retirement Authority, a government agency that takes care of retirees (usually expats) who want to invest in the Philippines.

When we got to talk about fitness, I asked her why she doesn’t seem to gain weight (I once described her in this paper as someone with the appetite of a stevedore, which I thought annoyed her a bit).

"Yes, I eat a lot – that’s true – because I need the energy," she shot back almost defensively. "I am a carbo person and I like kare-kare. But I easily burn that because I am always tired." Stress obviously is her secret to losing weight.

To keep her weight down further, I tried to stress her out some more with questions about her political plans. At this point, she can either run for re-election in the Senate or seek higher office (the vice-presidency, perhaps?) up the political rung. "If there’s an offer for me to run for higher office, I will," she began tiptoeing on her words at this point – only to take back everything: "I will tell you in three months," she hesitated.

Of course, she told me later her plans – but in confidence – all of which I will duly report to you.

In three months.