Introducing: Johnny Litton!

(Brazilian Ambassador Alcides Gastao Rostand Prates conducted this interview shortly before he left the Philippines recently at the end of his tenure.)

MANILA, Philippines - The tables have turned for Johnny Litton, well-known television and events host, and newspaper columnist of the Philippines’ largest and trusted daily, The Philippine Star. This time, he gets to answer the questions that he usually throws at his subjects. Here, Johnny is interviewed by the former Ambassador of Brazil, Alcides Gastao Rostand Prates. It might be unusual, but quite exciting to know more about the man who has fascinated us with his wit and intelligent humor through the years. Let’s see if he is indeed the master of the principle that a good offense is the best defense.

 Ambassador Alcides Prates (AP): Johnny, by reading and watching you over the years, I have come to the conclusion that you follow the adage that the best defense is a good offense. Now, Johnny, I want to get back at you.   

Johnny Litton laughs.             

AP:  What I mean is, what are your soft spots? What are your strengths, values and weaknesses?

Johnny Litton (JL):  Actually, Alcides, I’ll say this — three out of the four questions you directed at me have similar answers. My biggest strength is the foundation or the support and the love of my family. Whenever I am in any situation, I lean on my family for strength. And do you know, my family is also my weakness? I feel weak, I feel unloved, I feel isolated whenever I am alone without my family.

Values? Well, that’s a little more difficult to answer. My values are really old-fashioned. For example, the Spanish expression of palabra de honor (word of honor). I, for one, hold honor in the highest regard. Actually, the values that guide me are contained in two tablets — more popularly called the 10 Commandments. But those 10 Commandments could easily be reduced into just two: Love God, and do unto others as you want others to do unto you.

AP:  What do you think of the leadership of your country?

JL:  Well, first of all, I want to say that the opinions that I express are my personal opinions. These are my personal beliefs and are not necessarily true or correct. I adhere to certain beliefs which I will now share with you. First of all, I would like to have our leaders to minimize the announcements of what they will do. I personally prefer that our leaders first do what is good for the country and then let the results speak for themselves. Why do I say that? I have experienced a lot of promises that several of our leaders announced that gave many of our people great expectations only to be deeply disappointed for the failure of the announcements to become reality. I believe strongly in the Filipino people — they will always know when promises are fulfilled. That is why, as an ordinary Filipino citizen, I look forward to results more than the announcement, rather than vice versa.

AP:  What do you think of the direction your country is taking?

JL laughs.

JL:  Again, my answer to your questions is purely my personal opinion and I do not mean to offend anyone.  I feel that we copy other countries much too much. For example, the American Constitution and the type of democracy that the United States has. I sincerely believe that we are not ready for that type of democracy because in order to have that, we need to have a large and strong middle class, a high level of education and the enforcement of the laws of the land as equally applied to everyone as possible. I believe a great deal of our people know that this is not the present situation, although I would like to add that positive changes are beginning to take place. 

 AP:  Your opinion is similar to that of F. Sionil Jose, the reason he suggested to Stanley Karnow the title In our Image to the book about the Philippines by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

JL:  Well, Alcides, I feel Mr. Jose is totally correct. We copy other countries much too much. I do not want to be a brown American or a brown European. I want and I am proud to be a Filipino with our own culture, our own values.  For example, I would never allow my parents or members of my family to be sent to a home or be cared for by other people. They will always be in my home and taken care of by my family. One of the most beautiful traits of the Filipino is his love for family and I believe this is one of the strongest influences of our culture and the pillar of strength of our society.

 I also dream that leaders would have a strong sense of priorities.

AP:  What do you mean?

JL:  Alcides, let me put it this way, my friends and I took a 55-minute flight to Caticlan to go to Boracay. The flight was at 8 a.m. and this is only a 55-minute flight. It actually took us almost eight hours to reach Boracay! Why? Among other things — our flight was delayed, and when we finally boarded three and a half hours later, we were held up at the tarmac and could not take off because (we were told) “the runways are full of other planes landing and taking off.” If that is the case, why are we inviting more tourists to come? Shouldn’t our priorities be to improve our facilities and infrastructure because if we don’t, and more tourists arrive, delays will be even longer?

Gladly I notice that there are improvements in our infrastructure. Unfortunately, some local officials negate the benefits of these improvements by allowing market vendors, auto repair shops and tiangges to encroach on areas intended for vehicular traffic. Take for example the North Expressway — as you exit Balintawak you are confronted with a great assortment of stalls used for selling produce that result in massive traffic. Take the newly completed bridge from Rockwell to Mandaluyong that winds up right smack in the middle of a public market and often times the four lanes are reduced to only two because of vehicles being allowed to double-park, including tricycles and vendors. 

 AP:  Don’t you think that is also true in many other countries?

JL:  Yes, Alcides, but that does not make it right as major infrastructure costs billions of pesos of the people’s money and should be utilized by the majority of its citizens. 

AP: You said, Johnny, there is a need for a sense of priorities. What do we put first, infrastructure or inviting tourists?

JL:  Alcides, you and I know the answer to that. 

AP:  Yes, but you are the one being interviewed now.

JL:  Of course Alcides, but I want you to know that I believe so much in the Philippines, I have such great passion for this country of ours. Being a rather senior, senior citizen, I have many advantages over the younger Filipinos. My childhood enabled me to see Manila when it was referred to as the “Pearl of the Orient.” It was beautiful! It was unpolluted. The people were gentle, elegant and, like now, still smiling. Did you know when it was still referred to as Dewey Boulevard, during low tide, you could actually take off your shoes, walk in the sand and actually see clams, crabs and you could actually swim in Manila Bay and see the bottom because the water was so clear. And if you were to stand in one of the embankments, you could see the island of Corregidor. It was beautiful!

 Isaac Peral, now known as United Nations, had beautiful acacia trees on both sides of the road and when the wind was strong, the leaves would rain down along with red and orange flowers. It’s no wonder that the foreigners would call it “rain tree.”

 Manila was gorgeous, Alcides. But that happens in every city. Eventually, when there is population growth, the weak spots of the city develop.

AP:  Speaking of weak spots, Johnny, what are your weak spots?

JL:  Aside from women (laughs), yes of course! I have several weak spots. 

Women are both my strength and my weakness. My wife, for example, she will forever be my weakness and my strength. Do you know that I have known my wife for 59 years — four years of courtship and we have already celebrated 55 years of marriage.

 AP:  Congratulations, Johnny!

JL:  Oh, don’t congratulate me — congratulate my wife because she has good taste!

Alcides and Johnny laugh.

AP:  Johnny, how many children do you have?

JL:  I have five sons with my first wife.

 AP:  Why, do you have a second wife?

JL:  No, but my wife will always be first — my first, my only and my true love!

Alcides laughs.

AP:  You are not only being funny but I know you are also telling the truth, right?

JL:  I am, I am! And I’ll tell you something Alcides, you are a very good interviewer because you are able to extract things that are really part of the private Johnny Litton. For example, yes, believe it or not, I am a practicing Catholic.

AP:  You mean you go to Mass?

JL:  Every Sunday without fail — Mass, communion and sometimes, if my heavy schedule will allow me, I will go to Masses and communion during weekdays and, yes, I say two rosaries a day dedicated to my son, EJ, whom I love very, very much. I am also a devotee of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the Blessed Virgin that few people know about — Our Lady of Schoenstatt.

AP:  Did you ever find anyone who made you contradict your faith or your devotion to the Church?

JL:  Let me put it this way: not so much anyone, Alcides, but events. I nearly lost my faith when my son, EJ, passed away.  I looked up to the Lord and asked why — why take him away from me and my wife at such an early age? What helped me retain my faith was the strong foundation built into me by the Christian Brothers during my childhood.

AP:  Now, Johnny, what about reading?

JL:  Oh, I read a lot. I love books! I consume books — from pulp fiction, law books — but I find, unfortunately less and less time to read.

AP:  You told me that you don’t sleep at night and that sometimes you sleep between 4 and 6 in the morning, is that right?

JL:  Yes because, number one, it is the most peaceful time in my home — I can concentrate on my articles, my reading. I really love to read — for me it is one of the greatest gifts.

AP:  I understand you were directly involved in the making of Apocalypse Now, a film I greatly admire.

Yes, Alcides, not only Apocalypse Now but a great number of films because I was the Philippine distributor of MGM Films, 20th Century Fox, Disney and four other independent film companies. And yes, I was involved with the Manila International Film Festival and the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines. But Alcides, as they say, that’s another era of my life and it will take several hours of your time for me to share even just a bit of what took place in this major event in the history of the Philippines. So allow me to take my leave because I know that many of your friends are waiting to give you a despedida cocktail as you will soon be leaving the Philippines and many of these people, including myself, who care for you and admire you will miss you. We have so much to share with each other but alas, so little time.

Bon voyage my dear friend, Alcides, till we meet again!

A note from Ambassador Prates:

Johnny Litton is a square. That’s what he claims to be. The fervent, the best emcee in the country, with an impressive curriculum of other activities, claims to be a square. In interviewing him for The Philippine Star, I was interested in finding out about temptations, a word he uses. He claims to resist them all. I don’t know if he does. I am not his confessor whom he claims to see very often. He seems, however, convincing enough. I told him he follows the old adage that the best defense is a good offense. He admits it. I wanted, therefore, to find his vulnerable spots and told him so and he seemed to be willing to be discovered, but it is, indeed, hard to ram through his defenses. I tried.