'The Honor Guards' of Manny Villar

“Si Adel, kayang tumayo niyan ng more than nine hours. He can stand erect that long.”

That’s former Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla, referring to senatoriable Adel Tamano during a free-wheeling chat with the unbridled movie press at the mansion (which he bought from the Laurels) of their boss, Sen./Presidentiable Manny Villar, in Mandaluyong City. The idle talk happened just before the presscon proper, held a few days after the historic funeral procession for former Pres. Cory Aquino. Four “honor guards” stood beside the casket on the flower-decked truck for more than nine hours, from the Manila Cathedral to the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City where Tita Cory was buried beside the tomb of her husband, former Sen. Ninoy Aquino.

Yes, the naughty movie reporters were making “double” talk with Gilbert and Adel who were later joined by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. A reporter was asking Gilbert and Adel how long they could stand — you know, erect — and if they could match the stamina of the “honor guards.”

“Can any of you break the record of Sen. Roseller Lim who was on his feet ‘filibustering’ for longer than nine hours years ago perhaps before the three of you were born?” another reporter dared the boys.

The three, together with Laguna Rep. Justin Marc “Timmy” Chipeco and former Pampanga Rep. Juan Pablo “Rimpy” Bondoc (who both came late, but in time for the tailend of the presscon), good-naturedly call themselves “The Honor Guards” of Manny Villar (including Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III who was a no-show because he was in GenSan for an important commitment). Actually, Villar has named them members of the Nacionalista Party’s “speakers bureau” and NP spokesmen.

Alan Peter, an Ateneo Law graduate, is in-charge of “national interest matters;” “TG”, an Ateneo Law/Economics graduate, of “budget and Mindanao issues;” Timmy, Law graduate of San Beda College and Arellano Law School, of “local governance;” Gilbert, who earned his MA in International Affairs from Columbia University in New York and an NP spokesman since 2007, of “political affairs;” Rimpy, who earned his masters degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, of “finance and economics;” and Adel, current president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and the first Filipino Muslim to have graduated from the Harvard Law School with a masters degree in Law, of “education, legal and Mindanao issues.”

Gilbert and Timmy were co-producers of the indie film Donsol.

Not one of them was saying if he is running in 2010, and for what position, although Adel (the guy Gilbert said can stand “erect” for more than nine hours) might run for senator (and is, in fact, resigning as the lawyer of Dr. Vicki Belo by November before the deadline for the filing of candidacy for the 2010 elections).

Politicians, especially those running in any election, have realized the effectivity of the movie press (“discovered” by then 1992 presidentiable Fidel V. Ramos, thanks to Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde who organized a movie presscon for him, the first ever for a politician), that’s why many of them would invite movie writers for an informal “chat” every now and then. As you know, movie write-ups and columns are read by people from all walks of life, from the rich to the poor.

Very obviously, the six are bright boys and they must have a collective name. Spice Boys, perhaps? Not that. A few years back, there was a batch in the House of Representatives known as such but the group self-destructed soon after. They lost their “spice” when they ceased to be boys and matured into men.

Since the six spokesmen are projecting a “macho” image, why don’t they call themselves the Hagibis Boys (after the all-male sing-and-dance group that popularized “sexist” songs)? No, they’d rather be known as, that’s it, The Honor Guards of Manny Villar.

But they must have a theme song. Why not Jumbo Hotdog (the hit song of the Viva Hotmen — you know: Jumbo hotdog, kaya mo ba ‘to, kaya mo ba ’to?)?

“Why not?” joked Gilbert, adding, “we can call it Jamby’s Hotdog.” Was it Gilbert who dismissed a certain senator as a “nuisance candidate” when she announced that she, too, was running for president in 2010?

During the presscon proper, somebody asked Manny Villar (whose showbiz connection is his aunt, Evelyn Villar, former actress at LVN Pictures) if it’s true that the Nacionalista Party is including on-leave Wowowee host Willie Revillame in its senatorial slate. (Villar is Willie’s friend and he showed up twice on Wowowee, first with his daughter Camille and then with a group of OFWs whose rights he’s championing. He reportedly paid Willie a visit recently to console him.)

“Anybody who wants to join our stable is welcome,” he said. “But so far, wala pa naman sinasabi sa akin si Willie o sino man.”

Since it was basically a movie presscon, a daring movie writer asked Manny Villar and his Honor Guards a standard showbiz question pertaining to their, ehem, encounter with the “third kind.”

They were game enough to give “safe” answers which are not supposed to be printed here.

Alan Peter gave the day’s other quotable-quote during the pre-presscon chat.

“Pasensya na kayo kung na-bring up ‘yung nakatayo kami dahil ayaw naming isipin ninyo na palagi kaming stiff,” he quipped deadpan, adding, “Si Timmy nakatayo ‘yan from Laguna to Mandaluyong.”

They deserved a standing ovation for that, didn’t they?

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