This was the question popped on Lito by a handful of movie writers the other day at Dulcinea where he and the four other producers participating in the 2006 Metro Filmfest had a meeting with MMDA chair Bayani Fernando for the possible two-day extension of the annual event to Jan. 7.
Lito is starring with sons Mark (governor of Pampanga) and Maynard in Tatlong Baraha, directed by Toto Natividad, which Lito himself is co-producing with Madame Violet Sevilla of Violett Films.
Mario Bautista cited as example Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos who availed of the same course at UP where Mario’s wife, Vicky, was one of Vilma’s professors.
And there’s Melanie Marquez, Lito’s "ex" (with whom he has a son, Manuelito, now into his early 20s and working/studying in Las Vegas) who graduated cum laude last month with a degree in Business Management from the International Academy of Management and Economics.
After thinking awhile, admitting that not having reached college is one of his frustrations, the high-school-graduate senator said, "In the Senate, my colleagues must have read truck-loads and truck-loads of books before they reached where they are now. I’ve reached the same position through a different route – nagpasirko-sirko ako. My colleagues went to school to be senators while I didn’t have to study to be one."
Which means that, with the elections barely five months away, Lito is pressed for time to squeeze school into his air-tight schedule.
Asked why he has decided to run for Mayor in Makati, Lito said, "Para matigil na ang mga rally-rally na ‘yan." Among other reasons, that is.
Asked further if he was "pushed" into running in Makati by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Lito said, "She did talk to me but I have the final say. If I don’t want to run, nobody can force me to," added Lito who recalled that in 2004, he was ready to quit his seat as governor to run for Mayor of Angeles City when PGMA asked him to run for the Senate instead. "She talked to me 10 days before the deadline for filing of candidacy. I couldn’t say no to her."
Lito said that he will lose nothing in his bid for the Makati mayoralty.
"If I lose," he explained, "I can always go back to the Senate. It’s a win-win situation. I still have three years left in my term. In fact, I was asking (fellow Sen.) Bong (Revilla) to also run for governor in Cavite. If he and his running-mate win, he can resign and go back to the Senate and have his vice governor take over. See, we have nothing to lose."
Last seen in Lapu-Lapu, Lito said he missed showbiz so much. For Tatlong Baraha (a second remake; the first one, shown in the late ‘60s, starred FPJ, Eddie Rodriguez and Amado Cortez, who are all gone; and the second one, shown in the ‘80s, starred Lito himself with cousins Rey and Efren Lapid), he taught sons Mark (the eldest among the four Lapid children) and Maynard (the youngest) stunt routine and horseback-riding.
"I want them to do things right. Otherwise, I would get all the blame."
In the movie, the three barahas are masked, contrary to the characters in the first two flicks. Lito reprises his Leon Guerrero character while Mark plays Julio Valiente and Maynard plays Zigomar, both also previously played by Lito.
"I can’t turn my back on showbiz," said Lito. "Galing sa showbiz ang ibinuhay at ipinakain ko sa pamilya ko; galing sa showbiz ang ipinapaaral ko sa aking mga anak."
Madame Violet agreed.
"Showbiz is really addicting," she nodded.
Tatlong Baraha is Madame Violet’s fourth venture, following Magnifico (a drama starring Jiro Manio), a comedy starring Bayani Agbayani and Lisensyadong Kamao (with Manny Pacquiao). Madame Violet had her first heartbreak when Magnifico failed to make it to a past Metro Filmfest, but was vindicated when the movie, directed by Maryo J. delos Reyes, won awards both here and abroad, totaling 57 trophies so far.
"I have recouped my investment on Magnifico," disclosed Madame Violet.
Asked if Tatlong Baraha is a campaign forerunner, Lito shook his hand.
"Nagkataon lang na nakapasa sa festival," he said.
What’s up?
*Doing some last-minute Christmas shopping? Drop by at RJ Lista’s store in Greenhills Annex 1-103 (beside the big fountain and along the escalator going down) which sells at very reasonable prices goods like Teerific shirts and California cool clothing, other hard-to-find imported original shirts, educational toys, pillows for MP3s and electronic hip shirts. The bargains are good until Jan. 5, 2007. The same array of goods are on display at Noel Bazaar until Dec. 23, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
*Charlemagne Lim announces that his Little Asia restaurants (on Tomas Morato Ave., Quezon City and at the Greenhills Promenade) will remain open throughout the holidays, 11 a.m. to midnight on Dec. 24 and 25, and Jan. 1, but will close early on Dec. 31 in preparation for the New Year revelry.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)