SENATORIABLES.
Cesar Montano with his certificate of candidacy for senator
at the Comelec-Manila offices with Pres. Arroyo's Political
Adviser Gabriel Claudio. Sonia Malasarte-Roco (below)
is the other Boholano senatorial aspirant. |
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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.
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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
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ROCO |
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.
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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.
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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.
MONTANO
The
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.
ROCO
Sonia
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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