When Erap’s reply was noncommittal, Nikki faced taunting "I-told-you-so’s" and reactions like, "The nerve!" from colleagues. But when Erap called her months after to greenlight the project, the jeers just vanished into thin air. The movie, Sa Kuko ng Agila, with Nikki as Erap’s leading lady, was shown nationwide and boldly proclaimed its protest against American presence in the Philippines.
Today, Nikki, a re-electionist for senator, is fighting for other causes. On top of the list is the movie industry she recognizes as a source of income for many Filipinos.
"I will propose zero taxes for the movie industry in five years," she proclaims. "This will encourage more people to go into filmmaking. The Philippines was the Hollywood of Asia in the ’60s. With this incentive, producers will invest in more equipment. Yes, we can stop our dependence on foreign imports like soap operas."
It may be a utopian dream, but it shows the kind of woman Nikki is. She talks this way about film and its allied profession, the TV industry because Nikki was a producer herself. Her now-defunct Woman Watch, a weekly telemagazine show, was, for years, a symbol of women’s advocacies. It went beyond beauty and fashion tips and tackled heavier women’s concerns like rape, violence, etc.
Regal matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde, who stood as one of the wedding sponsors in the wedding of Nikki’s son, shares the same passions. They have other things in common, too. Like Nikki, Mother Lily is a Filipina-Chinese and a businesswoman (the Cosetengs own Mariwasa Tiles). Like Mother Lily, Nikki works hard. They both hold meetings at 1 a.m.
The Regal matriarch and the former senator are also for gender equality. That’s why Nikki is also rooting for the re-filing of the Anti-Discrimination Bill that gives lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender Filipinos equal opportunities in employment and equal treatment in schools, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, entertainment centers and government offices.
Nikki came to the defense of Inday Garutay, who was kept from entering Aruba Bar because of his gender preference. When he heard about it, Inday Garutay was so touched he can’t help but cry.
His defender also plans to set up centers for Golden Gays, or old and abandoned lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) Filipinos driven out of their homes. These centers will offer legal aid, counseling and information on LGBT issues, HIV-AIDS and health.
Towards the end of the presscon she hosted for Nikki, Mother Lily told her kumare, "I’m jobless. The movie industry is down. Can you help me?"
Nikki’s reply was quick, short and firm: "If I get re-elected, then we’ll both be in showbiz!"