SUBSCRIBEMontano is in
It’s official: Cesar Montano is in. Team Unity of the administration drafted in, 16 Feb, Friday, the popular actor-director in place of Gov. Jericho Petilla in the senatorial slot who backed out of the ticket to run instead for another term in his province a day before the proclamation rally in Cebu, Saturday. Despite denials by another senatorial candidate, Rep. Prospero Pichay two weeks ago that the director and Edu Manzano, another popular actor, that the two were never considered in the selection process, they were in the long list after all. So it comes as a surprise to me that he was suddenly in. Under Comelec rules, candidates can be substituted even until 7 May. Now, that brings two contending political neophyte actor-candidates into the ring vying the much coveted senatorial slot. Richard Gomez, running as an independent, is the other one.
Gov. Petilla’s decision to run for governor again prompted me to think that there was trouble brewing in his home province where a political covenant among the political clans: his and that of the Romualdezes who joined Kampi, the president’s political party, was sealed. It should be remembered that before the ouster of the Marcoses, the powerful Romuladezes lorded it all in Leyte. With the People Power in 1986, the political tides reversed and they kept a low profile. It was only later that Imelda’s brother, Kokoy Romualdez was elected mayor of Tacloban that the clan started with politics again. Now that they joined Kampi, a political accommodation has to be done as the Petillas’ were also a supporter of the administration, albeit with Lakas, the dominant administration party. Of course, this covenant was important to give the clans a reason not to fight each other. Kokoy will run unopposed for Mayor again while Petilla’s mother, a congresswoman, was convinced to run for governor instead and her son would be given a slot in the senatorial line up. With the recent decision of her mother to retire altogether, this paved the way for the governor to change plans.
The entrance of Montano into the lineup gives some kind of a higher profile for the administration ticket as the lineup is not as well known as that of the opposition with its candidates from the House as well as local government. But another actor in the Senate? Cesar, popular as he may be with a string of acting award plums, directorial work that has reaped good reviews, lucrative endorsements and an upcoming TV series comeback (he is said to lose P30 million in endrosements as well as P5 million for a TV work) is still untested in politics. I cannot make apologies for this doubt, this negativism as it has a precedent. Based on our experiences with the other actor-turned-senators, they usually belong to the so-called Committee of the Silent, just sitting their with legislative work, observing the debates and when asked for their opinion, it was better that they didn’t answer at all. This is confounded with their penchant to still take on showbiz projects and commercial endorsements even with their political office. Well, their presence at the once hollowed Philippine Senate can swing votes on crucial issues anyway and that is what is important for their sponsors.
With the popular Cesar Montano in the lineup, I don’t have any doubts that he will win in the election. I just hope that he will break the popular image of a nonproductive actor-turned-senator.
