Two Boholanos are among the 38 senatorial bets jockeying for the 12 posts in the Senate during the May 14 elections.
Sonia Malasarte Roco, wife of late Senator Raul Roco is running under the Genuine Opposition (GO) while international award winning movie actor/director Cesar Montano was picked to replace Leyte Gov. Jericho Petilla under the administration's Team Unity.
Roco is the daughter of the late Boholano Congressman Pablo and Petra Malasarte from Bilar and Calape towns, respectively.
Montano, whose real name is Cesar Manhilot is the son of lawyer Genovevo Q. Manhilot of Baclayon town while his mother, Emma de Montano is from Iloilo.
The development of these two Boholanos joining the senatorial race raised hopes that Bohol might again gain the glory of having produced another senator.
It maybe recalled that the province has produced five senators.
They were Senate Pro-tempore Jose A. Clarin during the American regime in 1920; Senator Juan S. Torralba, shortly before the abolition of the Senate in 1935; Senator Carlos P. Garcia (who later became the President), in 1941; Senator Olegario B. Clarin in 1946 and Senator Ernesto Herrera in 1987.
Ms. Roco's inclusion in the opposition ticket came as supporters of her late husband endorsed her to the senatorial race. She is running under the Aksyon Demokratiko Party.
During an interview yesterday while on the campaign trail in Rizal province, the 63-year old senatorial bet viewed her decision to run for senator to be anchored with a vision of pursuing the unfinished agenda of her late husband of providing quality education to the majority of the Filipinos especially those in the rural areas. The late Sen. Roco served as education secretary before his demise.
"Improving the present curriculum" is her priority concern in tandem with the need to advance the welfare of the thousands of public school teachers who are considered "the unsung heroes," she declared.
The be-medalled academe from the University of the Philippines said her exposure is with the non-government organization including St Micahel Foundation which takes care of indigent cancer patients. She recalled having been given a "second life" after she miraculously survived during an earthquake which hit Bagiuo City. She was recovered alive days after she was penned beneath the rubbles of Hyatt-Baguio Hotel.
Meanwhile, Montano was in high spirit attending the Team Unity proclamation rally in Cebu City yesterday afternoon.
During an interview with the Chronicle after the Cebu rally, the movie actor said that this opportunity of serving the Filipinos just "came into his lap" as he did not expect to replace Leyte Gov. Petilla in the administration senatorial ticket. However, he admitted being aware that he was included in the short list of Malacañang's choices for the administration's senatorial line-up.
Asked if he applied, Montano said, "I was offered."
Pressed to comment on reactions that he is just being used by the administration to generate votes in the May 14 polls, Montano reacted saying "it is quite unfair to say that since even without me, the Team Unity will still win."
"I'm taking this as a rare opportunity in my life," he said.
When asked to comment on what he can do in the Senate, the multi-awarded movie director said he will prioritize the need to "restore the genuine Filipino culture and arts which has been relegated by this modern generation."
He said that serving the people is not new to him as he has been running his Panaghoy Children Foundation which was established after he personally went to the hinterland barangay of Mabini town where 27 innocent children perished due to mass food poisoning some five years ago.
He could not help but assure the Boholanos that "charity would begin at home" once elected as senator.
ACTOR IN THE SENATE?Montano was not picked because of his being an actor, declared Secretary Ace Durano, campaign manager of Team Unity, during a separate interview with the Chronicle last night in Cebu City.
"His being an actor is just accidental," he said citing that Montano's credibility as a person augurs well for a good statesman.
He said that the choice for the Team Unity is anchored on their credibility to advocate the existing 10-point agenda of the administration.
Sec. Durano said the legislative initiatives to be done by them once elected are already guided by the 10-point agenda which he enumerated as balanced budget, education for all, infrastructure and transportation, end hostilities with MILF and NPA, automated election by 2010, healing of wounds in the EDSA I and II, electrification, employment and decentralized development.
MONTANOThe award-winning actor Montano is a Boholano native. Although his showbiz career has kept him in Manila most of the time, the actor is actually a registered voter of barangay San Roque, Baclayon town where he has established his residency for the past 5-years and 9-months.
Montano's claim to fame started in 1998 when he portrayed our national hero Jose Rizal in the movie of the same title.
Then came Muro-Ami, a movie which was almost wholly filmed here in Bohol, which also became an opportunity for another Boholano, Rebecca Lusterio to be discovered.
In 2001, Montano starred in Bagong Buwan, a film which tackled the plight of Filipino Muslims.
His success in the film industry paved the way for producing and even directing his own films.
In 2004, he acted, directed and shelled out P25-million to produce the critically acclaimed Panaghoy sa Suba, which was a Visayan-language film with English subtitles.
Montano was awarded Best Director for the film in the Brussels International Film Festival last December.
The actor was also featured in the Miramax film The Great Raid which was released in mid-2005 along with Hollywood actors Joseph Fiennes, Benjamin Bratt and Connie Nielsen.
ROCOSonia Roco said she hopes to get as much votes as her late husband (an adopted son of Bohol) who placed second to the former Senate President Marcelo Fernan (who hails from Cebu) during his last senatorial bid.
At a young age, Sonia already exhibited the traits of a natural leader and was a consistent honor student who graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. Joseph's College in Quezon City with a degree in Liberal Arts and Bachelor of Science in Education.
She was awarded as one of the Most Outstanding Students of the Philippines (MOSP) in 1964 and was a recipient of the Cardinal Santos Leadership Award for her achievements as a student leader and her involvement in the Student Catholic Action (SCA) and the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP).
As a lover of the Theater and the Arts, she trained in speech and drama in London and was able to teach, act, direct and produce musicals and plays.
Sonia holds a masters degree in Communication Arts and in Social Psychology from the Ateneo de Manila University.
Together with her husband Raul, the Rocos were bestowed the Golden Parents' Award for 1995 by the Golden Mother and Father Foundation, Inc.
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published in the Bohol Chronicle - 5/6/2007
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Topic: Two Boholanos Seek Senatorial Post (Read 1614 times)