A family that woos votes together

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Philippines — It’s barely three weeks to the May 10 polls and, contrary to reports that he has been scarce on the campaign trail, gubernatorial candidate Cesar Montano and his wife Sunshine Cruz, together with Angela (Cesar’s daughter with his late first wife) and Diego (Cesar’s son with Teresa Loyzaga) are constantly on the road. He’s running under the Liberal Party banner (with Noynoy Aquino and running mate Mar Roxas).

“So far,” says Cesar over breakfast at the Bohol Tropics (favorite downtown home of visiting stars from Manila), “I have covered almost the whole province which is made up of 47 municipalities and one city, and 1,109 barangays. Hindi ako nagri-relax. I work like a bull. After a rally the other day, we were on our way home at 1 o’clock in the morning when the mayor of Alburquerque town called, asking me to drop by. I did. I talked for 30 minutes before the crowd. Sayang din ‘yon. One vote can change the nation.”

His next stop was Sierra Leone, hometown of ‘50s Sampaguita kontrabida Rebecca del Rio. It’s also where the followers of Dagohoy, the rebel hero who led a revolt against the Spaniards, hid from the enemy.

“After the elections, I plan to do a movie about Dagohoy (Which LVN Pictures did in the ‘50s, starring Mario Montenegro in the title role. — RFL). It’s about the longest revolt in Philippine history that lasted for 75 years. I’m also doing Muro-Ami 2; the first was shown 10 years ago.”

During those sorties, Cesar speaks fluent Boholano to disprove allegations that he doesn’t even speak the dialect even if he was born in Baclayon town, the favorite hideaway of Bea Zobel who attends Mass in its centuries-old church built around a well-located beneath the imposing altar.

“I was interviewed on the radio here and I spoke in Boholano,” explains Cesar. “Arthur Yap doesn’t speak Boholano at all but he’s running for Congress unopposed in the third district and it’s because during his term as Agriculture secretary, he gave funds to almost all the municipalities here.”

Even before he thought of running for governor, Cesar has been helping his fellow Boholanos through his Panaghoy Children Foundation which, among its projects, sends 61 scholars to school (31 in college and 30 in high school and elementary). On the ABS-CBN show Singing Bee, from which he’s on leave, Cesar said he never forgot to promote his province by constantly mentioning its name.

“Between now and May 8, when the campaign officially ends,” continues Cesar whose “battlecry” is Change, “I have only a few municipalities to visit. Nakakatuwa because when the crowd hears me shout kausaban (Boholano for change), they cheer. I’m overwhelmed by the support. I stand at a corner anywhere, in the market or in the mall, and the people approach me and ask for posters, flyers and other election campaign material.”

Burned delicious red by the oppresive summer sun, Sunshine greets the crowd in passable Boholano before she sings. All Diego has to do is wave from the stage or walk through a crowd shaking hands and he elicits a response reserved for the likes of Gerald Anderson, John Lloyd Cruz and Piolo Pascual. Yes, Diego, 14, raised and schooled in Perth, Australia, is artistahin who might soon be the object of a tug-of-war among the three networks.

“No objection,” says Cesar when asked if he will let Diego follow in his footsteps. “But only if Diego wants to.”

In Ormoc City, two-hour ferry ride away from Tagbilaran City, another actor, Richard Gomez, is faced with almost the same issues in his bid for Congress, one of them that he’s “only an actor” (artista lang ‘yan) so he doesn’t amount to anything. A disqualification case against Richard is pending on appeal but according to the latest reports, “Richard is leading by a comfortable margin.”

“People shouldn’t belittle us actors,” says Cesar. “I can mention several actors who have become successul politicians. The public knows who they are.”

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