Magnanimous in Vi-ctory

"I forgive you; please forgive me."

That was the resounding message from Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos during her miting de avance Saturday night in Lipa, two days before last Monday’s elections in which she’s emerging as clear winner with a landslide victory over her three opponents.

"During my speech," Mayor Vi told Funfare as she braced for her third and last term, quoting verbatim what she said in the vernacular, "sabi ko, ‘Kung may nasabi man ako o may nagawang nakasakit ng ibang tao, humihingi ako ng tawad; patawarin n’yo ako. At doon naman sa mga bumabatikos sa akin, doon sa mga tumitira sa akin, pinatatawad ko na kayo. Sa makalawa, eleksyon na. Kung sino man ang mananalo, suportahan natin para sa kapakanan hindi lang ng Lipa kundi ng buong bayan.’ That was exactly what I said."

Saying she expected a "70 percent victory," Mayor Vi conceded that this year’s campaign was the most difficult and the most hurtful and painful, especially since she said she was hit below the belt. "Personal na personal ang tira sa akin," she said without any trace of bitterness in her voice.

One such tira was her not being a "full-time" mayor. Some people advised Mayor Vi to hit back and say that being a good mayor doesn’t mean staying in the office 24 hours a day but performing well.

"I refused to stoop to their level," said Mayor Vi who was featured on the cover of the investigative magazine Newsbreak as "The Good Mayor" (in contrast to another mayor who was tagged as "The Bad Mayor"). "I refused to hit back. I let my performance spoke for me. The Lipeños know what I’ve done for Lipa."

Besides, she added, the Lipeños are such positive people that they frown on muckrakers and character-assassins.

"I stuck to the positive," insisted Mayor Vi who offered no apologies for her not being a "full-time" mayor. "Everybody knew that I sacrificed many things for Lipa, including showbiz, and I did it not because I had to but because I wanted to."

Mayor Vi has been turning down movie offers (two of them from Regal Films for a Mother’s Day offering and from Star Cinema) and TV specials because she was aware that the Election Code prohibits movie stars from even "moonlighting" during their term of office.

"But I can never and will never sacrifice my family," said Mayor Vi, "and the Lipeños know that. Lipeños are family-oriented. They know that kapag pinagbayaan ko ang pamilya ko, para ko na ring pinabayaan ang Lipa."

Among the "most painful" parts of the campaign was her being pitted against KNP standard bearer FPJ over the issuance of a permit for the KNP rally at the Lipa plaza. Mayor Vi said there was some mix-up about the dates, thus the "misunderstanding."

"I’m glad that FPJ understood my situation. I read his statement in the papers at natuwa akong hindi siya nagalit. As I said, pulitika lang ito. Friendship is forever."

Not letting herself be distracted by such "side (non)issues," Mayor Vi stressed what she called her "10-point program"during the campaign, including projects for education, beautification, infrastructure, improvement of the city market, maintaining peace and order, computerization and improving garbage disposal.

It was a gruelling campaign, Mayor Vi admitted. Even if she had visited every nook and cranny of Lipa during the first two campaigns, she made sure that she retraced her steps to reassure the Lipeños.

"They have given me a new mandate and I won’t fail them."

Asked what she planned to do now that it’s over, Mayor Vi said, "Rest. During the campaign, I lost five pounds."

The Gameboys

Showbiz and politics have become cozy bedfellows. Same with showbiz and basketball. No wonder there’s a great interest on the new batch of PBA players (the games are now seen on ABC 5), most of whom are romantically linked to actresses, to wit:

• Eric Menk (forward, Barangay Ginebra), one time with Sarah Meier (former girlfriend of Borgy Manotoc) and now with Mylene Dizon (also linked to Paolo Paraiso)

• Mark Caguioa (shooting forward, Barangay Ginebra), formerly with Juliana Palermo (who has broken up with him to concentrate on her career)

• Don Allado (power forward, Alaska Aces), with Maricar de Mesa

• Jimmy Alapag (point guard, Talk N Text), with LJ Moreno (who used to be linked to Rob Wainwright)

• Rudy Hatfield (power forward, Coca Cola tigers) whose romance with Rufa Mae Quinto is going strong (they might even end up at the altar)

Now called Gameboys, the new PBA players are virtual Crushes ng Bayan, that’s why girls troop to the Old ULTRA during the games and swoon as much over the Gameboys’ looks as their playing skills.

Here are the Gameboys:

• Alaska - Rob Duat, Mike Cortez and Brandon Cablay

• Talk N Text - Asi Taulava and Jimmy Alapag

• Sta. Lucia Realty - Dennis Espino and Kenneth Duremdes

• San Miguel Beermen -Danny Ildefonso, Danny Seigle and Dondon Hontiveros

• Purefoods - Paul Artadi and James Yap

• Coca Cola Tigers - Gary David and Rudy Hatfield

• Shell Turbochargers - Rich Alvarez and Tony dela Cruz

• Red Bull Thunder - Enrico Villanueva and Lordy Tugade

• FedEx -Marc Pingris and Wesley Gonzales

• Barangay Ginebra - Rommel Adducul, Eric Menk and Marc Caguioa

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)