The Venue: 42nd floor of the posh Discovery Suites, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
The Guessing Game: Is FPJ running for President in 2004?
The Mechanics: Read FPJ’s body language
The Players: Annabelle’s well-wishers, including movie writers, talent managers, former Sen. Nikki Coseteng, businessman William Gatchalian, Jean Saburit, Marichu Vera-Perez Maceda, Manay Gina de Venecia, Gina Llamanzares, Dr. Pepito Oreta, lawyer Boni Alentajan, Diana Zubiri, Danny Dolor, Laarni Enriquez and daughter Jerika, Bob Soler, Jinggoy Estrada, Rudy Fernandez, Dolphy, GMA lady boss Wilma Galvante, Malou Chua-Fagar, German Moreno, Congressman Jules Ledesma and wife Assunta de Rossi, etc.
Clues:
1. FPJ has suddenly become "sociable," pumping flesh (like a politician?) and patting a shoulder here, a shoulder there
2. He attended the gathering of the FPJ for President Movement two weeks ago at the Cuneta Astrodome
3. He has learned how to unloose his tongue
4. He has been meeting with members of the opposition
5. He doesn’t give a "No comment" in interviews and instead says, "I will make an announcement in due time"
6. If Arnold Schwarzenegger (who, like FPJ, has absolutely no experience in politics) could win as Governor of California, why can’t FPJ? (After all, brilliant lawyers and economists and other professionals have become President but look where the country still is now!)
7. FPJ is decent, honest, humble, incorruptible, generous, charitable, a good industry leader and loved by the masses
8. He has helped put his erap, Joseph Estrada, in Malacañang
9. He has a beautiful wife, Susan Roces, who would make a beautiful First Lady, and
10. As a Filipino citizen, he has all the right to run for any public office like every Filipino and it’s up for the Filipinos to vote for him or not.
The answer?
We’ll know by Nov. 9
Ask Susan Roces and even she doesn’t (or pretends not to) know.
"Ask Ronne (FPJ)," Susan would simply say. "Don’t ask me. I myself don’t know what his (political) plans are."
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)