Say "Chiz!" and flash a winning/winsome smile.
That should be the catchline for senatoriable Francis "Chiz" Escudero’s print and TV ads because in all of them he’s wearing the boyish smile that has become his trademark.
"With his following," said Regal Matriarch Mother Lily half-jokingly, "Chiz can cross over from politics to showbiz. He’s my newest Regal Baby."
Chiz can hold your breath and attention with his eloquence on the floor of Congress, delivering kilometric speeches in his capacity as Minority Floor Leader, and he can win hearts with his simple ways (simple T-shirt, simple denims, simple almost Spartan lifestyle; so simple that he doesn’t even wear a watch).
And he can "act," too.
Ask A-list director Carlitos Siguion-Reyna who megged Chiz’s series of four political TV ads, starting with Youth (with a band), followed by Talking Heads, then by Kids (the Ako Rin episode showing Chiz with kids aiming high and dreaming big dreams), and now the fourth with no less than Eternal Movie Queen Susan Roces (who escorted Chiz when he filed his Certificate of Candidacy) as co-star.
"Yes," said direk Carlitos, "Chiz can be a good actor. He’s a natural."
"It took us only half a day to shoot the endorsement," said Susan. "Sanay na si Chiz sa camera. After all, Regal Baby na siya, di ba?"
For a more generous serving of Chiz, here’s his list of favorites (as requested by his Funfare-reader fans as follow-up to Chiz’s "body talk" in 2005):
• ACTOR â€â€Â FPJ ("But of course!")
• ACTRESS(ES) â€â€Â Susan Roces ("Who else?") from the veterans block and Claudine Barretto from the new breed.
• MOVIE â€â€Â The American President (starring Michael Douglas in the title role).
• SONG â€â€Â Beautiful In The Eyes by Joshua Kadison
• SINGER â€â€Â "My wife, siempre!" (Theater actress Christine Elizabeth "Tintin" Flores).
• BOOK â€â€Â Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory.
• AUTHOR â€â€Â None in particular. "What counts is not so much the author as the book. I must confess that I’m not an avid book-reader."
• PART OF HIS BODY â€â€Â None. "All parts need some improvement."
• PART OF HIS WIFE’S BODY â€â€Â "Her tummy which is growing bigger and bigger with our twins, our first children. Hinihimas-himas ko palagi ang tiyan ni Tintin."
• PART OF THE HOUSE â€â€Â Bedroom ("That’s where Tintin and I spend most of our time, either sleeping or watching TV").
• TV SHOW â€â€Â "I’m not much of a TV-watchers but when I do, I watch Pinoy Big Brother (PBB)."
• TIME OF DAY â€â€Â Morning ("The time Tintin and I spend quality time together").
• DAY OF THE WEEK â€â€Â Sunday ("Strictly family day").
• PASTIME/HOBBIES â€â€Â Shooting and computer games.
• DRINK â€â€Â Wine (Red).
• COLOR â€â€Â Blue ("I like the way it looks").
• HERO(ES) â€â€Â "Dr. Jose Rizal for his intelligence, Andres Bonifacio for his bravery, Emilio Aguinaldo for his being the youngest president of the Philippines and Alyas Sakay for fighting with the Americans."
• COMICS CHARACTER â€â€Â Superman.
• FOOD â€â€Â Tinolang manok.
• SAINT â€â€Â St. Francis of Assisi (after whom he was named).
• FRUIT â€â€Â Melon.
• FLOWER â€â€Â "Wala akong hilig sa flowers."
• PERFUME â€â€Â "I never buy. I use whatever is given to me."
• SLEEP WEAR â€â€Â Shorts and kamiseta.
• ONE THING HE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT â€â€Â "My wife!"
• CITY/HIDEAWAY â€â€Â Sorsogon City ("When I’m there, it’s not for vacation but still for work").
• SPORT â€â€Â Shooting.
• TREASURED POSSESSION â€â€Â "My name."
• POLITICAL FIGURES â€â€Â "Ferdinand Marcos for his legal mind, Cory Aquino for her heart and feel for people, Erap for his love for the masa, FVR for his management style and GMA for being hard-working."
• EXPRESSION â€â€Â "Utang na loob!"
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)