Richard Gomez: Business with pleasure

"Sampung daliri." That’s how actor Richard Gomez interestingly strategizes his tough and challenging political bid to get votes for his senatorial candidacy this coming May 14 elections.

Richard, also popularly known as Goma, encourages his friends to solicit 10 votes for him by possibly counting on members of their households, siblings, relatives and other friends to list him down as one of their senatorial bets.

"If all of my friends can get 10 votes for me and pass them on to another person who can also give me 10 votes and so on, then maybe I can make it to the Senate," Richard rationalizes.

The good-looking actor is aware that the latest challenge he is facing is no joke. Counting on his formidable showbiz background, huge popularity and impressive professional achievements, he embarks on a grueling election bid to bring his advocacies to the senate. He is also dauntlessly running as an independent candidate, without the stratospheric campaign budget that other senatorial candidates have.

"They say that a senatorial bet needs around P200-M to go on a nationwide campaign," Richard allows. "I don’t have that kind of logistics. I can’t even afford to pay for the airing of my TV ad which costs P200,000 per 30-seconder. But I can change the demographics of the Philippine political arena if ever I will be blessed to win. Then I will not be indebted to any political party or even to the President, but to all the people who supported my candidacy."

Richard knows he has been lagging behind in the political surveys, but he keeps the faith that if God wills him to win, he can serve in the Senate. Although it is certainly wishful thinking on his part to hope for a clean, honest and fair elections, Richard is optimistic that even the odds will work to his favor.

"My wife Lucy (Torres) has been praying a lot for me," says Richard, who has been married to Lucy for nine years now. "There are times when I would also think, ‘Should I stop or should I go?’ But I’m fighting for something. My advocacies fuel and drive me to run. Don’t vote for me because I’m an actor. Vote for me because of the advocacies I’m fighting for."

Richard banks on his popular moniker, Goma, to get easy and instant recall that will hopefully translate to votes. In the election ballots, he informs that voters can write his full name, Richard Gomez or simply Goma, which has also been registered with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) when he filed his candidacy.

Richard’s rags-to-riches story is an inspiring subject for most people who have witnessed his rise to fame. From working as a McDonald’s crew member, he went on to become a first-rate dramatic lead in local cinema and a sought-after product endorser.

"Through sheer hard work and patience, I was given a chance to work in showbiz and become successful," Richard acknowledges. "I’m very grateful to this industry. It has greatly helped me, my family and other people. I have to help this (dying) industry and work against the huge taxes being imposed on local movies."

After more than 20 years in the business, Richard is still very much visible, doing shows in his home network, GMA 7. But his TV exposure lately has been limited to news clips of his political campaign. Showbiz has to take a backseat momentarily, as he goes on a nationwide sortie to be assured of a coveted seat in the Senate.

Yet, despite the physical demands of a nationwide campaign, Richard is hardly complaining. "No matter how difficult the campaign is, I always try to make it fun," he says. "There should always be time to bond together with the people you are working with."

Richard is very grateful to the support of his close friends in the business, starting from his long-time manager Douglas Quijano to the other talents whom the latter manages — John Estrada, Jomari Yllana, Gelli de Belen, Wendell Ramos and Joey Marquez, who is not alien to the campaign trail. Richard’s friends have generously offered their time and effort to tirelessly campaign for him, gratis et amore.

In a recent dinner hosted by Regal Entertainment producer Lily Monteverde, Richard’s showbiz friends were around to signify their support to him. Aside from his manager, there were Ogie Alcasid, Regine Velasquez, Joyce Jimenez, Dennis Trillo, Wendell Ramos, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Eat, Bulaga! boss Malou Choa-Fagar and director Joel Lamangan (who worked with Richard in films like Filipinas and Walang Kapalit, as well as the now-defunct ABS-CBN primetime series, Your Honor). All of them stayed in the sidelines and gave the limelight to him.

Mother Lily is proud about Richard’s achievements since he started in showbiz in the early ’80s. She says Richard is not just a "very special Regal baby" but is like a son to her. "I saw how Richard grew from a teen star to a matinee idol to a sportsman and anti-drug crusader. He is a self-made man," notes the lady producer.

Richard is also being endorsed by Susan Roces, widow of Action King Fernando Poe Jr., as well as Robin Padilla, who even agreed to do a TV commercial for him without any talent fee. Interestingly enough, Robin once figured into a fight with Richard inside Malacañang grounds, when President Cory Aquino was still in power.

"It only took me one phone call to Robin to ask him if we could do a TV ad together," Richard shares. "I told him I only needed two hours from him and he said yes right away. Yung concept ng ad namin, dating mag-kaaway na nagkabati na, because that’s what really happened to us."

Richard is no longer a tyro when it comes to government service. During the time of President Joseph Estrada, Richard was appointed presidential adviser on youth and sports development. He vows to bring his advocacies to the Senate and push for what he believes in. He adopts the anti-drug campaign, seeks to eliminate rampant corruption in the government and supports the youth.

He also pushes for the welfare of national athletes, having been one himself, when he competed in the Asian Games for several sports — fencing, rowing and shooting. "I was a national athlete for 18 years and I’m aware of the plight of athletes," Richard says. "We have to help them when they compete abroad because they bring pride, joy and glory to the country. The victory of an athlete can unite a country."

Richard also expresses his desire to uplift the state of education in the country, improve the educational skills of teachers and push for the increase of their salary, "so they won’t leave to seek greener pastures abroad."

For the local film industry, more importantly, Richard will push for a government tax incentive for local movies, lessen piracy and propose a film commission to take care of local films being shown in film festivals abroad.