Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:37:00 11/17/2009
Filed Under: Inquirer Politics, Eleksyon 2010, Celebrities, Benigno Aquino III, Entertainment (general), Cinema
MANILA, Philippines—The Noynoy and Mar show on Monday got an added dose of celebrity glitz with ex-Sen. Ralph Recto and his wife Vilma Santos joining the Liberal Party (LP).Making the jump from the administration coalition, under whose banner the couple ran in the 2007 elections, isn’t because the popular actress and Batangas governor will star in an upcoming blockbuster celebrating the life of the late President Corazon Aquino.
“For next year’s presidential election, we want a political party that can promise an administration that is competent and truthful—one that can offer solutions to our nation’s problems,” Santos told the Inquirer Monday.
“I’m not just jumping on the bandwagon,” she said, dismissing suggestions that the decision was prompted by her friendship with Kris Aquino or Sharon Cuneta, wife of Sen. Francis Pangilinan, an LP stalwart.
“I made this choice not as an actress, but as a public servant. This is real life. I have an obligation to the people of Batangas.”
The multi-awarded actress said she has been inspired by the Liberal Party’s standard-bearer, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, and his running mate, Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.
Recto, 45, who resigned on Aug. 16 as director general of the National Economic and Development Authority, is joining the LP’s senatorial slate in the May elections. This was announced during Monday’s meeting of the party’s national directorate.
The former senator said he informed Aquino and Roxas about the couple’s decision to join the LP over dinner in the Roxas residence in Quezon City on Saturday.
Consensus formula
“I think you have a good team in the LP under the leadership of Senator Noynoy and Senator Mar,” Recto told the Inquirer. He said he found he had “many commonalities” with the team and its “consensus formula” in addressing the nation’s problems.
Aquino on Monday told reporters that he discussed wide-ranging issues during the weekend dinner with Recto. “I believe we share common ideas on many matters.”
Santos said that before making the big leap, she consulted her constituents and informed the leadership of the ruling coalition Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
“It was a long and difficult process,” she related. “In every move I make, I try my best to get the sentiments of my provincemates.”
Unity through inspiration
Ultimately, she chose to support the Aquino-Roxas team because “our country needs to be inspired . . . If our people are inspired, they will willingly support and follow the leaders’ vision.”
The “inspiration” that the Aquino-Roxas team offers will “unite our nation,” said the 56-year-old actress.
“I know that Noynoy will not do anything that would tarnish the good names of his parents, Ninoy and Cory. They are considered heroes by our people,” she said. “We need a new government.”
She said that the LP’s priority programs were consistent with her own plans for the province. “My priorities are health, education, environment, agriculture, roads, tourism and security. The Liberal Party shares the same principles.”
One of the first calls she got after she made the big switch to LP was from Kris Aquino, Noynoy’s sister.
“Kris was very happy,” Santos recalled. “She said that our support means a lot.”
Santos said that her decision to support Noynoy was not influenced by the offer to play the late President Corazon Aquino in a planned bio-pic to be produced by Star Cinema.
“It has nothing to do with the movie. The mere fact that I was considered for the role is a big honor in itself. It wasn’t a factor in my decision, though. My jobs in the political arena and in show business are separate. I haven’t had the chance to talk to Star Cinema about the movie because I’ve been busy in the province,” she said.
Although she wasn’t able to personally talk to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Santos said she made sure to discuss her decision with the Lakas-Kampi-CMD leaders.
“We were able to say goodbye properly to Lakas-Kampi. Our old party was supportive in the past and we never had big problems with them. Modesty aside, I also worked hard as a party member,” she said.
Santos admitted that the political climate in the country was quite volatile.
No Edu complication
“It’s happening in both politics and in show business. We’ve been though a lot of calamities and problems recently. There’s hatred and hopelessness in our people’s hearts. Everyone is supporting his or her own candidate,” she pointed out.
This is true in her own family. Edu Manzano, Santos’s former husband and father of her son Luis, is running for vice president under administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro Jr.
“I don’t think Edu’s candidacy will affect our family negatively,” she said. “Edu is very qualified. He’s intelligent. If he’s lucky enough to win, he can deliver.”
She is confident her relationship with Manzano will not be affected by politics.
“The campaign will only run for six months. After the election, things will go back to normal,” she said. “At the end of the day, Edu is still the father of my son.”
‘A big loss’
“They are a big loss,” Prospero Pichay, a Lakas-Kampi-CMD vice president, said of the couple.
Pichay said he was surprised by the decision, but said it wasn’t unexpected for Santos to join Recto.
“If the husband goes, the wife goes with him. That’s principled politics. I admire them for that,” he said in a phone interview.
Recto ran with the administration in his failed senatorial reelection bid in the 2007 mid-term elections. After a year, he was tapped by Ms Arroyo to become her socioeconomic planning secretary.
Pichay, a former Surigao del Sur representative, theorized that after his unsuccessful run with the administration two years ago, Recto must have felt that he has better chances of winning with the opposition. With reports from Christine O. Avendaño, Leila B. Salaverria, TJ Burgonio and Marrah Erika Lesaba, Inquirer Southern Luzon
Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091117-236694/Vilma-Ralph-join-Noy-Mar-team-boost-LP-star-power
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