What will Bong tell Arnold?

As of now, Bong Revilla hasn’t decided whether he’ll run for Senator (under the administration LAKAS party) in 2004.

"I still have until Jan. 15, 2004 (deadline of the filing of certificates of candidacy) to make up my mind," said Bong who is finishing the shooting of his Metro Filmfest starrer, Premiere Productions’ Captain Barbell (released through Viva Films), his last starrer before the May elections – if and when he does decide to run. "I have enough time to weigh the pros and cons."

Already, Bong is being "pitted" against FPJ, his idol who, until now, hasn’t also decided on his plans for 2004, even if the opposition has included him in the shortlist of possible/probable standard bearers, also including Senators Ping Lacson and Nene Pimentel.

You see, a tabloid recently bannered that Bong was "junking" FPJ in favor of President GMA and Bong was shocked and embarrassed by it. "I never said anything against FPJ," said Bong. "There wasn’t anything in the story that supported the headline. All I can say is that every Filipino citizen has the right to run for any elective office. What’s important for any candidate, I think, is that dapat may puso siya para sa masa, para sa bayan."

One reason why Bong (currently chairman of the Video Regulatory Board or VRB) can’t decide on his plans for 2004 is that he’s trying to avoid a "collision course" with FPJ – if FPJ does run. What if, just if, the opposition would invite Bong to be in their senatorial line-up? Can Bong say no without offending FPJ (if he does run)? Can he turn his back on the administration which he’s now serving? It’s a dilemma, indeed. "Mahal ko si FPJ but I have to stick to my party."

Meanwhile, while the elections are six months away, Bong is taking a five-day break in December with wife Lani Mercado in California where he might make a courtesy call on Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger. Asked what he’s going to tell Arnold, Bong simply smiled, his chinky eyes disappearing into slits, "I’m sure we’ll discuss film piracy. Being both actors and victims of piracy, we have a lot to talk about."

Will he, perhaps, ask some political tips from Arnold?

"Having entered politics ahead of him," jokingly said Bong (one-time Governor of Cavite), "I think he should be the one asking tips from me. Our topic won’t be politics but film piracy," added Bong who was cited last year by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for his achievements as VRB chief.

Besides Captain Barbell, Bong has just wrapped up his scenes in the GMA telecine Sa Di Sinasadyang Pagkakataon (telecast on Sunday, Nov. 16, starting at 9:30 p.m.), produced by his younger sister Andrea "Anding" Bautista under the Revillas’ own company, Imus Productions. The telecine, directed by Rico Gutierrez from a teleplay by Dinno Erece, also stars Miriam Quiambao (who’s getting married to her Italian boyfriend early next year) who plays a fashion model (Bong plays a construction magnate).

The telecine was finished in three shooting days, highlighted by Bong and Miriam’s lips-to-lips kissing scene, her first ever onscreen kiss, prompting Bong to comment that Miriam has "virgin lips."

Sa Di Sinasadyang Pagkakataon is Bong’s first telecine.

"I can’t say no to Anding," he said. "I did it almost for free."

What Kara Found Very Thrilling

GMA’s I-Witness received the prestigious UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) Child Rights Award during a gala presentation in Hong Kong recently. The winning episode was Selda Inosente (Angels of Prison), Kara David’s documentary on the plight of children born and living in Philippine prisons. It bested 37 other entries by 10 broadcasters from 10 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

What thrilled Kara even more was that it was UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Roger Moore who presented the award to Kara and I-Witness executive producer Lloyd Navera during the awards ceremonies at the Conrad Hotel. (The annual Child Rights Awards is co-sponsored by UNICEF and the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia or CASBAA.)

"I’ve seen him as James Bond in the movies and I was excited to see him in person," said Kara.

Selda Inosente was shot in various prisons, including those in Laguna and Negros, which were right along Kara’s alley because her beat happens to be the National Penitentiary. "It was a friend who gave me the idea," recalled Kara. "I did an episode on mothers in prison, so my friend texted me, ‘Why not do an episode on babies in prison?’ So I did."

A Broadcast Communications graduate from UP, Kara is the daughter of UP professor/TV host/columnist Randy David and Karina David, Civil Service Commissioner.

"It was my Dad who wrote my one-page acceptance speech, to be read in one minute," said Kara. "He wrote it in Tagalog and I polished it in English. And then I memorized it. During the ceremonies, the winners were limited to a 10-second acceptance speech so what I did was deliver only the first and last parts of my prepared speech."

Otherwise, Kara hardly asked for her father’s assistance in the pursuit of her TV work.

"He has a high standard," said Kara. "Even if I think that my script is good enough, already perfect, my Dad can still find flaws in it."

Describing herself as a cross between her parents, Kara said she’d rather have her own identity.

"My Mom is palaban, decisive, logical mag-isip and more of a manager; while my Dad is romantic, aloof and more of the intellectual type."

She gets no pointers from her Dad but a constant reminder: Don’t moralize, don’t be judgmental.

What’s Up?

• Correction #1, from reader Struthie Ruthie: Emelyn is the older, not younger as you mentioned in a recent Conversation, sister of Vilma Santos. Vilma calls her Ate Emelyn.

• Correction #2, from reader Chakka: Miss World has had 90-plus contestants these past five years so it’s the No. 1 international beauty contest in number of candidates and not Miss Universe as you mentioned.

• Correction #3, from reader Ilynn Bulatao of Makati City: The Station Agent is a critically-acclaimed movie which is making the rounds of various film festivals and not a TV dramedy like you mentioned in your article on its star, Peter Dinklage, whose performance has been getting raves. He might receive an Oscar nomination.

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