Gordon: ‘Pangalan ko Dick pero hindi ako –tator’

Courtesy of PROBE PROFILES

JOINING the already crowded presidential derby at the last minute, Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon is banking on his image as an action man to win votes and implement genuine changes in 2010.

The former mayor of Olongapo City, founding chair and administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and chair of the Philippine National Red Cross, who is known to rule with an iron fist, boasts of his long and impressive track record as a local chief executive prior to being a legislator. But a nephew, who is also running for president, has warned about a Dick Gordon presidency.

In a one-on-one interview with Probe Profiles’ host Cheche Lazaro, Gordon discusses his leadership principles and explains his perceived dictatorial tendencies. He outlines his vision and plans for the country in the following interview:

Q: San ka pinanganak at anong recollections mo nung ikaw ay lumalaki?
A: Pinanganak ako sa Castillejo, Zambale,s dahil panahon ng Hapon nung araw, tinago namin yung lolo kong Amerikano dun. Dun ako pinanganak, 1945 August. Sa isang kubo, believe it or not.

Q: Bakit?
A: Usually ang mga doctor eh, wala nga, nakatira kami dun, wala naman kaming bahay dun. So, nung malaki-laki na kaming lahat, lumipat, nung matapos yung gyera, bumalik kami sa Olongapo.

Q: Pero talagang taga-Olongapo kayo
A: Olongapo kami. Ang lolo kong Amerikano, dito nag-settle. May Gordon’s farm nung araw. At dun inalagaan niya yung mga ita, pagka may cholera. Yun ay halfway house. Pagkagaling ko sa Olongapo, tutungo ka sa Manila, wala pang zigzag road nung araw. Mahaba-haba ang biyahe. Malayo na yun, nagiging halfway house. Nakakainom ka ng beer, at nung araw may prohibition so nandun ang beer nung araw.

Q: Natatandaan mo ba yung lolo mo?
A: Oo, natatandaan ko yung lolo ko. Nung pinanganak na ‘ko, nung lumaki na ‘ko, ang recollection ko napakasaya sa Olongapo. Tahimik, nakatira kami, dinadala ako ng lolo ko sa piggery, dun sa mayroon kaming piggery doon sa Sta. Rita, tabi ng ilog, at natatandaan ko, may nakita akong HUKBALAHAP na may baril, pinaakyat ng lola ko dun sa bahay, pinakain niya dahil gutom na gutom, tapos pinauwi niya. Tapos natatandaan ko nun, maglilinis kami palagi, magsisiga, si Cecille yung kapatid ko, nahulog pa, nagbabaging kami dahil may sinehan kami, mahilig kami nung Tarzan movies, na nahulog siya dun sa siga, nagkaroon siya ng scar dito sa kanyang kamay. But it was a very happy childhood dahil nag-aral ako sa public school ng one year, then pinaaral na ako sa Manila, dun ako naging malungkot. Iyakin ako.

Q: Pumunta ka sa Manila?
A: Manila na kaming lahat noon. Nangungupahan kami sa Manila.

Q; Ilan kayo sa Manila?
A: Lima.

Q: Kayo lang mga lalaki
A: Meron akong kapatid na isa na ampon, pero kapatid talaga ang trato namin, si Imelda. Pero yung isa si Donald, si Tony, pero si Imelda talaga naging close, si Imelda, si Donald–si Imelda, masahol pa ang trato niya sa kanyang natural mother–si Mama ang kanyang mother as far as I’m concerned.

Q: Yung mommy mo, sabi mo, nag-aalaga ng ampon, lagi kayong may ampon. Pano nangyari yun?
A: Ganun eh. Darating si Mama, she has always been humanitarian. Tinayo niya yung unang Red Cross dito. Tinayo niya ang unang blood bank in the 50s. Pagka may sunog, nandun yan. Pag may bagyo, nakahanda na yang soup kitchen. Merong restaurants kami, apat ang restaurants namin.

Q: Pagmamay-ari ng pamilya?
A: Oo. Dun sila nagsimula. Restaurant, nag-sine, nag-department store, later on, may hotel, may piggery, may rock gas, may mga jeep kami, minamaneho. And I lived with the waiters, yung mga anak ng kusinero namin. Si Johnny Revilla, yung basketball player, kalaro ko yan. Ang nanay niya nagtitinda ng sigarilyo. Pagkatapos, naglalaro kami ng basketball.

Q: So mayaman kayong pamilya dito sa Olongapo?
A: We were comfortable. It was a working family. Walang mayaman dito. Walang nagmamay-ari ng malalaking lupa dito dahil tasado ang lote. And, you don’t work, you don’t eat–yun ang kultura namin dito. Kailangan magtrabaho ka.

Q: Ano yung sabi mo, natatandaan mong Olongapo nung lumalaki ka? Tahimik, ano pa?
A: Kasi hawak kami ng Amerikano until 1959. Until medyo nag-abuso na yung mga Amerikano, mayroon dyan sa may zigzag may marine checkpoint dyan. Pag dumaan ka dyan, tse-tsekin ka. Pag ka sumagot ka ng konti, bubuhaghagin lahat ng maleta niyo. Eh pauwi kami nung araw. Binuhaghag yung maleta namin. Kaya nagalit ang tatay ko at siya’y naging aktibista. Bagamat kaibigan niya ang mga Amerikano, siya nag-eexpose ng mga ano nung araw… Yung kailangan may ID card kami lahat.

Q: Yung father mo, kano?
A: No, mestizo.

Q: Yung lolo mo yung kano
A: Lolo ko ang kano. Inabot ko yung lolo ko, yun mabait na mabait sa kin yun. Tuwing aalis ako, tatanungin ako, “Are you studying hard?” “Yes.” O, maglalabas ng pera yun, fifty pesos, nung araw, parang dalawang libo na yun, diba? So, yun, pagbalik ko sa eskwela, mayaman ako

Q: Spoiled ka sa lolo mo?
A: Hindi naman. He was a tough guy. He was, he lived by himself. He lived behind our theater. He cooked his own food. Kami, nakatira sa ibabaw nung restaurant namin, sa likod ng thea–tabi ng res–lalabas lang kami, tabi na nung small theater. Naga-usher ako sa sine, tinuruan ako maglagay ng projector. Nagawa ko lahat yan sa sine. Nagbooking ako, later on, naging artista pa ‘ko sa “Goodbye, America!” I appeared as myself in a Hollywood movie. Kaya, my brother also, appeared in a Hollywood movie with my brother Bong.

Q: Pano kayo napasali dun?
A: Kasi madalas pumunta dito yung mga Hollywood ano–

Q: Para gumawa ng sine?
A: Gumagawa ng sine.

Q: Yung tatay mo, strikto ba siya, yung nanay mo, strikto ba sila sa inyo?
A: My mother was the strict one. My my father was a quiet one. He was quiet but he had a very strong aura, if I may say. He was very principled. He stood his ground nung ineexpose niya yung mga Amerikano. Tinurnover ang Olongapo, four years, imbes na ibigay sa appoint–sa election, inappoint. Malakas yung governor sa kuwan. Dun ako nakaramdam ng unang, tinatawag nating political bossism. At, nilagay lahat yung mga tao nila at naubos yung bundok dito. Galit na galit ang tatay ko. Ineexpose niya, dinadala niya sa Blue Ribbon Committee–sila Rodrigo, sila Senator Rodrigo, pinapakita niya yung mga troso nakukuha dito. Laban ng laban tatay ko. Tinaga yung kotse niya sa Iba pag pumupunta siya dun. Dinedemanda siya ng lahat. He was a fighter.

Q: Ano yung pinaglalaban niya?
A: Pinaglalaban niya yung abuso. Pinagbili yung mga bulldozer na binigay ng Amerikano, yung ambulansya, yung sa ospital. Meron kaming sariling ospital na iniwan ng Amerikano, nawala lahat yung equipment, dinala sa provincial capi–sa hospital at naging emergency hospital na lang ang Olongapo. Tapos yung kuryente, naging abogado ni Papa si Senator Diokno tsaka si Senator Pelaez. Pera niya ang tinutustos niya para mabawi yung kuryente ng Olongapo na binigay sa isang pribado.

Q: Ano yung naging impluwensya nung mga paniniwala ng tatay mo at yung pagiging humanitarian ng nanay mo sa iyo?
A: Alam mo, napakalaki because my, una, I suppose, naging matapang ako dahil pinaslang ang tatay ko. Tatlong beses, pinapatay si Papa, pero hindi siya nagdadala ng armas nung araw. Ang bodyguard niya, iisa lang, matanda pa nung, at napagsabihan pa siya ng isang congressman, dahil nung matapos siyang binato ng granada, dalawang beses, ng mga takas sa preso, ang nangyari eh, sinabi ng mommy sa kanya, maglagay siya ng bodyguard. Napagsabihan pa siya, nandun, ginagawa niya yung Boystown, napagsabihan siya. So, tinanggal niya yung bodyguard niya. Naging dalawa lang ata yung bodyguard niya. At nung napatay siya, isa lang ang bodyguard niya.

Q: Bakit siya pinatay?
A: Dahil nga sa kanyang pakikipaglaban. Tinanggal niya yung dating Chief of Police, naging threat siya sa probinsya, at kaya ginawa, naging siyudad ‘to in three years, tatlong taon lang nag-mayor ang tatay ko, nagawa niyang siyudad, nabalik niya yung kalinisan ng Olongapo. Masaya ako nung araw sa Olongapo dahil malinis, pwede kang lumakad dito, pwede mong iwanan ang bahay mo na bukas, walang magnanakaw dahil nga may ID card, mahigpit ang Amerikano. Ang lahat ng aso may, mayroong cross para ipakita na ineksyunan na yan. Kilala namin lahat ng tao. So, nung mga panahon na yun, masaya kami eh. And unfortunately nung natransfer na sa Pilipinas ‘to nung 1959, pumasok na ang “bahala, sige-sige, ocho” yun naman ang nakalaban ng tatay ko. Nanghuhuli si Papa ng mga mag-iismuggle. Yung mga naglalabas ng baril sa base. Nahuli niya yan. At yung mga prostitution dito mula sa nightclub dun sa looban ng bahay, hinuhuli niya at nung siya’y tumakbong mayor, kasama niya si Senator Diokno, yung chief of police na inappoint dito ng presidente na tao ng gobernador, pinalabas yung preso at pinagmamachine gun yung mga tao. Olongapo became a very, very bad town

Q: Sin city nga
A: Oo. Nung pumasok si Papa, nirelease niya lahat yan. Tinanggal niya lahat ng pulis na loko, at pagkatapos, palagi siyang sinususpinde, pinasususpinde ng governor. Tuwing Pasko, wala kaming Pasko. And I remember, when I was a kid, lahat kami naman, we work hard pagka-Pasko, nagbabalot kami ng tinapay, may bakery kami. Pero malakas yung grocery namin, namimili ng tinapay yung mga tao. Puno yung sine, puno yung mga restaurant, so all of us, although we studied in (CLL: Manila) later on, in Ateneo and St. Theresa’s, hanggang nung panahon na yun, we would work every time we come here.

Q: Malaki ba yung impact nung pagkamatay ng tatay mo sayo.
A: Definitely. Si Mama, si Papa, nung pinatay, talagang ang tingin ko, habang nililibing ko, nililibing ang father ko, tumingin ako sa tao, sabi ko, “You killed him.” Parang bitter ako. And then, pumapasok sa loob ko na, lumaban na talaga ako. And then, of all people, a radio commentator pa na tumabi sa kin, “Wag mong isipin yan, magbabago sa isipan mo yan. Hindi gugustuhin ng ama mo yan.” And then, of course, my mother was a humanitarian. Nakikita ko yung, darating ako sa bahay, galing ako sa eskwela sa Ateneo, pag pasok ko sa kama, madaling araw ako darating, minsan galing ako sa, gabi na ko nakauwi, pagpasok ko sa kwarto, paghiga ko, may katabi ako. May bagong ano, may bagong bata (CLL: Ampon) na ampon, ‘no? And, all these had an impact on my life. Red Cross is very deep in our family bago pa sila pumasok sa pulitika, 1952 pa. Eh pumasok si Papa sa pulitika, 1963 na, eh ang Red Cross, ah yan ang, my father found the first rotary club. He was Knights of Columbus grand knight. So, I followed all these pero hindi ako nag–hindi ako nag-kuwan. Eventually, when I was in Ateneo, I flunked pa one year. I repeated one year because, kung minsan nagiging rebelde na ‘ko because sabi ko, “Ba’t ako nandito, ang father ko wala?”

Q: Patay na yung tatay mo nun?
A: Hindi, buhay pa, buhay pa. Namatay yung father ko, nasa Procter and Gamble na ‘ko eh. May trabaho na ‘ko. Nung nasa eskwela ako, nung grade school ako, papasok ako sa Letran o sa Lourdes, napapaaway ako. Wala akong matawagang tatay.

Q: Bakit?
A: Because they’re here, five hours ang layo ng Olongapo nung araw eh. And I only had my lola and–

Q: Did you miss him?
A: I miss my father and mother–

Q: Did you miss his presence?
A: Ah, it was like a, mala–ang description ko, parang meron kang taga ng–a hook, a fisherman’s hook in your heart. Habang umaalis ka sa Olongapo, parang hinihila yung puso mo. And we would all cry, kaming mga magkakapatid.

Q: Pag pupunta na kayo sa Maynila.
A: And I’d cry, siguro mga months, pagka gabi na iiyak nalang ako, ganun.

Q: Talaga? Iyakin ka? Eh bakit niya pinilit na Manila kayo?
A: Because we had, he wanted a great education for us. That’s why, education is very important for us. That’s why when I flunked my second year in high school, I had to bring my father. I was so embarrassed. My mother was livid, galit na galit. Pero, napasama ako sa mga grupo, mag-eeksamin na kami, I was so overconfident. Manonood ako ng sine, tatakas kami. So, natuto ako dun sabi niya, sabi sa kin nung tatay ko, one line lang, sabi niya, “I want you to change yourself.” Sinabi niya, “If you cannot be a scholar, I want you to be a leader.” Sabi niyang ganun.

Q: Tumatak sayo.
A: Pumasok yun. Tarok talaga, tagos to the bones. From then on, I became class president of the class, extra-curricular activities. I paid more attention to high school. I was still happy with my classmates, but I went on, I graduated at the Ateneo–that was good because I never took grade seven. And by the way, when I flunked, kalahati ng buong year namin, bumagsak halos. That was the time pumasok yung Filipino Jesuits. Ang dami talagang pinaulit sa amin. Yung iba na kick out. Talagang naghigpit ang Ateneo noon. Yan, sila Ramon Jacinto, kasama ko yan. sila Ricky Avelino kasi sabay-sabay kaming mga, mga player ng basketball. Ako cheerleader nung araw eh. Tsaka na-probation and discipline ako. Sabi, going around with the likes of your classmates, etong si Luna, si ganito, sinasabi sa kin. Yun pala, tinawag sila. Going around with the likes of Gordon. Kasi–

Q: They were playing you against each other.
A: Oh, yeah. And that was really a marked changed. Of course, ang my father and mother, nahiya na talaga ako. Kasi I had to go home weekly and, pabalik, ‘no? Pagbalik ko, talagang alam mo, sa min, pagka nagkamali ka, you accept it. You own up to it. So I said, “I flunked, I let you down.” O, my mother was very livid, my father was, tahimik siya. Until he brought me himself to school he did not say anything. He saw Father –, did not say anything. Talagang silent treatment until the first day of school, dinala niya ‘ko dun. Sabi niya, “If you can’t be a scholar, be a leader.” Yun ang sinabi niya sakin.

Q: Sineryoso mo yun?
A: Ah, definitely.

Q: Isn’t that unusual? Most young people, pagsabihan mo ng pumapasok sa kaliwa, lumalabas sa kanan. Wala.
A: No, no, no. My father, i adored my parents because I could only have a little of them and, pag nandun sila sa Manila, I’ll sleep with my father.

Q: That’s how much you miss them?
A: Yeah. And my mother, too. Sumiping ako niyang pag, pagka nandun sila. Kasi, minsan bibisita, isa lang sila eh, may maiiwan dito. So, that’s the way, that’s the way we grew up—

Q: Ikaw lang ang parang
A: Lahat kami ganyan, lahat kami. But ako ganun, sumisiping talaga ako. And then I, you know, umuwi ako nung mga bata-bata pa ako, grade school, I was so, kailangan you have to work. So lahat kami ganyan. So naglagay ako ng comics, mahilig ako ng comics nung araw. Sasampay ko yung comics, lalagay ko dun. Meron kaming shine-shoe box, tatawagan ko yung mga kapitbahay ko, magsa shine kami. Amin yung restaurant. So magsashine kami ng sapatos, pababasahin ko ng comics, kikita kami

Q: May bayad na yung shine, may bayad pa yung comics?
A: May bayad pa yung comics. Ayun, magbabayad sila, one dollar, ganyan. So mayaman ako pagbalik ko sa Manila. And then pag pasko, mayaman rin ako, ako magkakaha eh. Tapos, kukuha ako, “Advance, Dick Gordon.” Tapos sisimplehan ako ng nanay ko. “Uy, bayad naman sa kin, nagkaha naman ako.” Hindi ako nangungupit.  It was a very happy, very happy (CLL: Childhood). Although of course, kulang, kasi kung minsan, Noche Buena na, wala pa si Mama. Nagtrabaho na kaming lahat, wala pa. Dahil kung minsan, overtime pa dun, marami pang namimili dun sa grocery, yung aming mga ano, wala siya. Nasa mga Boystown, nandun. O kaya, pagdating niya, mga ala-una, alas-dos na kami nakakapag-Noche Buena. That’s the way it was. That was the way it was.

Q: So, lumaki ka sa isang bahay na aktibo lahat. You didn’t have parents who just stayed home. Talagang they were out doing things.
A: Yes. And they made it a point to explain it to us what they were doing.

Q: You did not resent that?
A: I resented it, though. Bakit, even the way pagka may mga katulong kami, that’s why I was, sa katulong, yung sa mga waiter namin, I grew up with them. Sa, kung minsan nga I resented the fact, “bakit yung ibang tao mas mahal mo kaysa samin?” Kung minsan. But I never said that, that was our feeling. You know, minsan may loka-loka pa, dadalhin dun sa bahay. Sabi ko, nung matanda na ‘ko, “Mama, hindi pwedeng ganyan, mamaya manakit yan.” And then Father Larkin, the late Father Larkin, I will bring him to our house. “What will happen if your mother passed away?” “Well, my mother is still alive, we still have Boystown and Girlstown. We still have kids in the house.” Nung nag-iba yung bahay niya sa Pinatubo, I took her out of Pinatubo kasi wala na eh. “You have to go with me, we’re going to die, we’ll die there.” Yun ang sabi ni Kate eh, nandun pa ko sa CIty Hall, yumuyugyug na, and pinapaalis ko si Kate. Ayaw niya. “Congresswoman rin ako,” sabi niya, “we have to work here.” And then, nung pinapaalis ko na yung mga tao, nung nandun na ko, sabi niya, sabi ni Kate, “Masyado nang malakas ang lindol.” Sabi niya, “If we’re going there and (die?) together, magpaalam tayo sa mga anak mo, nasa Manila sila.” So, umulit yun eh kasi pinaaral ko rin yung mga anak ko sa Manila eh.

Q: So, ginawa mo yung ginawa ng magulang mo?
A: So, umulit yan. And then, she called her sister in kuwan, in the United States. I called up Cecille in America. I said, “Mama is here, Tony’s here, Barbara’s here,” and sabi ko, “Kailangan alagaan mo yung mga anak ko kung may mangyari samin.” We thought it was the end of the world eh. So I took my mother, ayaw niya. Pinilit kong isinakay sa kotse ko. Nasa kabilang bahay diyan, yung luma, kahoy yung bahay ko dyan eh which can’t withstand earthquake. Nalingat lang ako, nawala si Mama, hindi ko namalayan. Yun pala, bumalik siya sa bahay. At the time she came back to the house, she walked! She walked about eight blocks, seven blocks to the house. And pagdating niya dun, nagiba yung bahay, di sinabi sakin. Dahil nakalimutan namin, yung mga alaga niya, nasa basement. Mabuti na lang nasa basement silang lahat. So, we had to get her out.

Q: Again.
A: Again. Pati mga bata. Yun. Nagiba na yung ancestral home namin, which is, you know, something we really loved, ‘no? Talagang andun kami lahat. Great times, so–

Q: Yung impluwensya, Dick, nung ano, ng pulitika, kailan pumasok yun? Pano ka naging interesado
A: My father always told me, “Magtrabaho ka muna bago ka magpulitika if you have plans of doing that.” My first job, I was so proud. Procter and Gamble, piling-pili yun. The top, the top, creme de la creme. Hindi naman sa nagyayabang ako I hope you don’t mind because nung pumasok ako, yung mga cum laude sa klase, naku, Dick, may math dito. History in government yan eh. Ginaganyan ako. math yan eh. Hindi naman siya cum laude, pero iba math, may cum laude, di ko na sila sasabihin. Anyway, nung nakuha kami, dalawa lang kami sa klase namin nakuha, ‘no? Dalawa lang.

Q: I’m sure you were not picked for your math?
A: No. I was picked because of my leadership sa klase. Nakita na class president, ROTC officer, lahat na nandun, ‘no? Tapos, I was also accepted in Unilever. And Women’s offered a teaching job. Of course, Kate didn’t like me teaching in Women’s and Maryknoll (CLL: Competition). Tapos ah–

Q: So you had a pick of the litter.
A: Yeah. And I told my father. Sabi ko sa father ko, “Would you like me to work with you or nakuha ako sa Procter and Gamble.” Sabi sa kin ganito, classic ito, “I don’t care if you’re a basurero, basta you’re number one basurero. I’ll be happy. I don’t care if you’re kutsero, basta you’re number kutsero, happy na ako.”

Q: Bakit tumatak yun sa yo?
A: (sobs) Both my parents. (sobs) they worked hard. And I suppose we lived in a society na … Both of them are high school graduates. Hindi nakatapos. But they worked hard all their lives.

Q: Parang hindi naman sila nahirapan?
A: No, but makita mo, my father had just become Mayor, three years as Mayor, and sabi niya, “You know, basta be the best in whatever way you choose.” Parang ganun ang sinasabi niya. I was the best in whatever I chose. I became a leader in our community, parang ganun yung sinasabi niya. I didn’t have your education, now, parang sinasabi niya sa kin na, yung sinasabi ni that I saw in Ateneo, “You’re born of greater things.” Parang ganun.

Q: But most young people don’t take to heart yung mga sinasabi ng mga magulang nila.
A: Iba ito. Iba kami. My parents, they got my attention. Because, you saw sacrifice. They didn’t speak, “O, you’re well off, o yung iba nagugutom.” They showed it. May kumatok sa bahay, pasok. Iniwan yung bata, kinuha. Wag ka nang umangal. Just take it. May may sakit, dalhin sa Maynila, dalhin sa ambulansya. It wasn’t patronage, mind you. Hindi nagpapalakas sa tao. It is that, God gave you gifts of hardwork and it wasn’t luck. It was hardwork. That’s why I never say, “good luck.” I say, “good skill.” And when you have that, you always save some for your community. We have found the man. So when he said that, kinda deflated my balloon in the sense the, but I listened. Procter and Gamble eh. Dream yan ng marami eh. And when my father died a year later, I had to leave Procter and Gamble.

Q: Bakit?
A: It was time to come home. It was time to continue the fight. I don’t think he would have wanted it that way, right away. But there was a petition, about six thousand signatures for my mother to run. My mother was alone. And she was the feisty one.

Q: Siya yung matigas?
A: Oo. And she, she did not demand, she did not say, “Come here.” In fact, when I ran for Con-con, she did not support me, ’cause I left law school afterwards. But she became mayor after I campaigned, managed–managed her campaign. I went to law school. I could not understand why, after three attempts on my father’s life, more than three attempts actually, they burned our house pa. Bakit walang justice? Kinausap ko si Marcos. Sabi ko, “How come my father is dead? How come napapalabas sa preso sa Muntinlupa, sa municipal jail? I could not understand it.

Q: Didn’t you lose faith or hope in the political system dahil dun?
A: Remember, when I was in college, I was for Manglapus. My father was for Pelaez. And he allowed me. I was the chairman of the Party for Philippine Progress, training committee of the youth. And we had no money. And my father said, “Go, you believe that? Go.” And, my father was for Pelaez. And when he passed on, ang sabi ko, “Walang mangyayari.” My father always did things he wasn’t …You go back to, I suppose, to his stories. Siguro, why did my father choose to be a Filipino? Amerikano siya eh. He had four brothers. All of them went to the States, didn’t need a visa. But he chose to be a Filipino because he was of the second marriage. Namatay yung nanay nung apat na kapatid niya, nag-asawa siya ulit ng Filipina.

Q Yung unang asawa, Filipina.
A: Filipina, oo. Martin. Tisay. Tisay na Kastila, mestiza. And then, yung pangalawang asawa, Tagle. Veronica Tagle. After whom my sister was–I suppose, he never told us his story, that’s something remarkable, Cheche. I never knew na, I had a hint. Ang sinasabi niya, “You are made of strong stuff,” ‘no, palagi. Yun pala, yung na–yung tatay ni Veronica Tagle was the first Filipino who won a battle against Spain. He won it for Aguinaldo. And then he grabbed the sword, he gave it to Aguinaldo, that sword was given to — Kaya ako nagrereaction. You ask me anong nangyari, nagrereaction ako. My father was quiet. He took everything quietly, ako, laban. I became very aggressive. Procter and Gamble taught me to be aggressive. The Jesuits taught me to be aggressive. There was one Jesuit, “Wag kang magsimula ng away–” eto, quote-unquote ‘to, ha? “Pagka-inapi ka, kick him in the balls and when he falls down, kick him in the face so he never forgets it.” Sabi nung Jesuit na yan.

Q: Di ba sabi ng Jesuits “Man for others” kayo?
A: He never did that. He was an American Jesuit. Iba pilosopiya niya. Ang ibig sabihin, I don’t think he meant for us to do that, but he meant for us to be men, to be men talaga na won’t be pushed around. Assert yourself, that’s why in Subic, the big A-word was Assertion. Sa lahat ng mga bata dito, I said, “The big A-word is assertion.” You have to assert ang pagka-Pilipino.” When I became mayor of Olongapo, my father asserted himself with the big leaders, natatandaan ko, my God, presidente–

Q: Kinakausap niya?
A: Kalaban niya.

Q: Kalaban niya.
A: Nakakalaban niya. Susuportahan niya yung isang presidente, first election, I remember, Presidente Macapagal. Lumipat lang yun ng governor, congressman ng kalaban niya, iniwanan na siya. He was bored, I think, basta iniwanan, he was–

Q: But based on that, Dick, when you saw how much your father suffered?
A: Yeah.

Q: Di ba? Pinatay nga. Hindi ka ba na–nawalan ng gana na pasukin yung–
A: Ah, every day. Every day. Look at my whole life. Look at my mother’s life. She made the first master plan for Olongapo. She wanted Olongapo to be the best. She was tough as nails. Clean. Pinarusahan pa siya. Nung naging con-con delegate ako, everybody said, “You cannot win!” I won, in spite the fact my mother was upset with me. I left school. I got married without her permission. She did not realize that. And then, when she found out, that was the only time, after a year later, nag-uusap na kami. But she was a very tough woman. And yet, wala naman kaming koneksyon sa taas eh, hindi naman kami pedigree. Wala kaming kilalang malalaking tao, so palagi kaming ginaganon. So, laban. So I became a lawyer, I became a member of ACCRA Law after the Con-con. Nag networking ako ng konti. I was in ACCRA for four and half years. I was feisty. And, Procter and Gamble, mga boss namin, Amerikano, you know, “C’mon Gordon, is that all you can do?” Lalabanan ko yan. Ganun yan. And even here, when I was mayor, I had to assert that is what, my Filipinism. As when Americans did something wrong, I asserted it. I’ve locked them up first, para makita ng Pilipino, na nila-lock ko. Pero even I could, even if I could not do that basta-basta, because of the treaty, an agreement. I’ve locked up policemen here in Olongapo because my father was killed by policemen. I even had something to say. Of course, I did not mean it, no? But of course, kasama sa braggadoccio nung araw, no? “Alam ko, sabihin niyo, nagagalit kayo sa kin, tandaan niyo, ang tatay ko, isa sa mga nagpapatay chief of police. Pag nalaman ko yan, lalabanan ko kayong lahat, at kayong lahat, pati aso niyo, papatayin ko pagkaganun, may sasaktan kayo sa pamilya namin.”

Q: Ganun yung galit mo?
A: Hindi, hindi galit yun. It was a warning to them. I was not gonna take it that may nasaksak dito na baranggay captain nun, bawal mamatay. Bawal mamatay ang pulis. Don’t make, don’t make the NPA look good at your expense. You have to be a good policeman. And I locked up policemen. That was dangerous. Martial law nun eh. Naka-uniporme.

Q: So where do you get all that bravery? Is that all braggadoccio or what is it?
A: No, no, no, hindi. Ang braggadoccio, iba yan. I have to be, I have to show them toughness. I have to show them na, “Hey, I’m not gonna take it. I’m here to change–”

Q: Yes but you know…
A: You have to have that moral ascendancy. Hindi ka pwedeng magloko. Pag nagloko ka, at ikaw rin ang nagdidisiplina, hindi ka papansinin. Ganun kadelikado lalo.

Q: Alam mo, Dick, ang impression ko ngayon while talking to you, behind a very tough exterior–kasi laban ka ng laban, some people say, you’re very conscious about the photo-op–  A: Me? Photo-op–

Q: You know I read this in some of the criticisms. What I’m trying to say is, sa likod ng laban stance mo, is a very soft heart.
A: I would say that. I mean, madali naman akong kausapin. Basta yung, you have to be true. Wag mo na kaming itutulak. General Diaz arrested my mother in Martial Law and I went up there. Nakipaglabanan ako. Andun si Senator Angara, kasama ko noon. Hindi pa siya senador. Nagpatulong ako kay senator–kay Secretary Enrile. And I said, “You know, nung kinuha ang magulang ko, nilagay ka dun sa Olongapo, you were very tough, natutulog ka, may carbine ka pa sa tabi, may armalite ka pa sa tabi. Don’t push us, we’ll push you back.” Kasi tinanggal sila ni Papa noon dahil nagi-smuggling, tinotolerate yung smuggling nung araw eh. Tapos, you know, kay Erap. I stood my ground. Kay Marcos, I’ve voted to ban Marcos. Pinatawag ako, tatlong beses.

Q: San mo nakukuha yang toughness na yan?
A: I suppose, you go back to your history, you go back–how can I, how can I be not be tough when my parents were, were strong, not tough. They were strong. They stood their ground. Armed Filipinos are so soft, yun bang, pag nagsalita ka ng mataas, pinagmamataasan ako niyan, yun bang para bang–

Q: You think you’re misinterpreted?
A: Yes. All the time. Because me, I teach. A leader must teach. A leader must tell them, “Oy, be tough.” Hindi por que nagalit ako sa yo, matakot ka pag di na kita kinakausap. Pagka nagagalit ako sa yo, minsan sumisigaw pa ‘ko, wag kang matakot, kasi mahal pa kita. Pero pag hindi na kita kinakausap, that’s the time matakot ka because wala ka nang pag-asa sa akin. But I always say to each Filipino: we are not, we are no longer in the Spanish or the colonial regime na tinuruan tayo na may wall sa atin na lahat mas malaki sa atin, na wala tayong kaya, tayo’y anak-dalita, tayo’y, kaya hindi ko kinakanta yung “Ang Bayan Kong Pilipinas” eh–“nasadlak ka sa dusa.” Ang kanta ko yung “Ang bayan ko’y tanging ikaw” ah, “tungkulin ko’y gagampanan na lagi kang paglingkuran, ang…” Yun, yun ang kanta ko, yun ang kaya ko. Ang kanta ko, my father died, siguro he’s probably seeing an impossible dream ’cause, the impossible dream had just come out. The man from the mansion had just come out. My sisters were involved in an organization and brought him, sent him an album he kept playing and playing. Nauna pa siya kay Ninoy dyan. (CLL: Impossible dream) And we sang it in our family. My grandchildren will sing it well because that’s a very important

Q: I’m curious about yung misinterpretation, na the people misread you for your, for your fast-talking way, for your level of confidence, yung mga ganun. Do you consider that liability?
A: To some people, yes. Because dito, kailangan humble ka and maraming humble. Niloko na tayo. You have to show strength in this world of speed. I had to be strong for my family. I have to be strong for my community. I would not let the policemen beat up a vendor just because siningil siya sa hotdog, and I saw that in Olongapo. Binugbog siya. Tinapon yung kanyang mga–marami yan. You can go around the city, talk to the vendors how they have been defended by their mayor nung sila ay pinagsasamantalahan or how tricycle drivers, nakita nila, pano nila kinulong ang mga pulis dito sa harapan nila. I have done that. That’s why siguro Mon Tulfo respects me because of that, because, nakita niya, nagulat siya, sabi niya, “Mayabang yang si Gordon, eh” nakita niya bigla, nakakulong yung pulis, tinyente, nakakulong sa kulungan, naka-uniporme. “Sinong nagpakulong sayo?” “Si Mayor Gordon.” “Ganun ba yun?” “Oho, ganun yan.” So, even my security, kinulong ko yang mga yan, pag naglasing, guns and liquor don’t mix.

Q: Ano yung prinsipyo mo?
A: You have to be accountable to the public. You have to lead by example. And you have to be strong. You cannot show weakness before the Americans. You cannot show weakness before Pinatubo. You cannot show weakness when your father have died. You cannot show weakness before presidents. All people are created equal–it’s the law that make you equal and you must assert yourself.

Q: Based on that thesis na you must not show any weakness, isn’t that also a liability? Because people now expect you to be strong all the time and you will not buckle under any pressure, isn’t it more pressure for you to always be strong?
A: I’ve never buckled under pressure. When Pinatubo was erupting, and I smoked, and I have not smoked for a long time, and the people saw me, “Oh no, nagsisigarilyo na si Boss, patay na tayo.” “No, no, no,” tinapon ko kaagad yung sigarilyo sa waste basket. And ang dasal ko nung araw, “Lord, I’m prepared, if You’re gonna take me, take me, just don’t make me panic. Yun ang dasal ko. “Take me, but don’t make me panic.” People need me. And then, nagko-collapse na, nasa bahay kami sa kabila. Colonel was crying. Iyakin din yun, kasama ko yan. But I did not cry in Pinatubo. I cry only for my parents and my country.

Q: Why do you cry for this country?
A: So much potential. My gosh, I mean, we used to be number one in Asia. We’ve become Asia’s used-to-be. Our pilots used to fly in the –. The blue diamonds. It’s like our trees in Olongapo–isang iglap, tinanggal. So I fought for those trees in Subic, I fought for those oceans. My gosh, we don’t, we let our people find their future in foreign shores? Not me. You find your future in the Pilippines. FFF–Find future Filipinas, dito sa Subic. I got Dennis Mendiola, I got Eric Paragas, I got young people from all over the world, people from Harvard, from Stanford, from University of Scotland, Nova Scotia, Filipinos, I got them here. And I got the Filipinos, wala na kami, patay na tayo. Wala nang titinda ng sigarilyo. You believe and they believed. And everybody is saying, “Niloloko kayo ni Gordon, ineexploit kayo ni Gordon, wag niyong pakinggan yan.” Pag nakita niyo akong nagnakaw, nakawin niyo ang buong Subic. We have to show a picture of the kind of Filipinos we are. Na magaling tayo, na masipag tayo. And I would tell people, look at this people. Walang sweldo yan. Walang sweldo, nagtatrabaho. Can you imagine? Volunteer yan. Pag ginawa niyo sa trabaho yan, at sinuwelduhan niyo, di mas magaling!

Q: Di ba pipe dream yan?
A: It happened. You cannot deny that there now 97, 000 jobs in Subic alone, not to mention Olongapo was the like, you know, sa Olongapo, hardly a jeepney was here. Parang yung movie on the beach. Linilipad lang yung dyaryo diyan sa kalye. Tigil. Katatama ng Pinatubo. Imagine, sino ang mayor na nagkaroon ng pressure na ganyan and anybody would’ve buckled down at the pressure. The kind of life I led; your father assassinated, pinahirapan nanay mo, tinanggal ka ni Cory, tinanggal ka ni Erap, pagkatapos yan, nakabuo pa yang Subic, nakabuo ka ng lahat ng Olongapo, nakabangon.

Q: So, ba’t ka hindi tumalikod at pumunta na lang sa Manila?
A: It’s the only country I’ve got. It’s the only country I’ve got, and this is where I was raised, this is where my family died, this is where I’m gonna be buried. This is where we are going to show our character. When I became kuwan, sabi ko, I always draw a picture of the kind of people I want them to be, that’s why they think I know everything. Ganun eh.

Q: Do you know everything?
A: No! I tried to know everything but I cannot know everything. What’s wrong with trying to know everything? What’s wrong in trying to show direction? Yung iba kasi, di ba parang tingin ko sa mga kaklase natin, “Ayan, alam ko sagot nun!” Tataas ng kamay. “Ay sayang, naunahan ako.” Ganun eh. You have to show them right away. Opportunities. Come here, and I tell every Filipino people watching us here, masasabi ko sa kanila, ‘no? Aim high. Bawal ang tamad. Ayokong sabihin, wag kayong matakot na ambisyoso kayo. Tinuturuan ko ang mga anak niyo maging ambisyoso. Bawal ang tamad sa Olongapo. Work ethic. Lalong bawal ang tanga sa Olongapo. Duty first. Duty, dignity, determination. I created a bin of duties and obligations of citizens in the constitution. That was my contribution, together with si Chief Justice Davide. I’ve lived my life, Cheche, when my father was assassinated, color-coded lahat ng jeepney and tricycle. Ang ginamit, jeepney and tricycle sa pagpatay sa tatay ko. Ang pulis, hinuli ko dahil pulis ang pumatay sa tatay ko, lahat yan. I still speak in Congress every time somebody’s killed. I did the free port of Subic. Now I want it in Laguna. I want Lanao. I want Laguna de Bay. I want it to be like Lake Geneva. Ambisyoso ako. Hindi masamang maging ambisyoso. Basta meron kang work ethic, at meron kang dunong.

Q: When you were a lawyer, with ACCRA, ano yung mga kaso mo nun?
A: Litigation. I was a corporate lawyer. Talagang lalong nahasa yung assertion. That’s why Danding Cojuangco is supposed to go to China because hinuli siya, substandard yung semento niya. Pinaglaban ko to the point na talagang, tinalo namin.

Q: Kliyente mo si Danding?
A: Oo, naging kliyente ko si Danding, sa lawyer–sa litigation. He’s my friend.

Q: Nanalo ka?
A: I’m not ashamed to be Danding’s friend. I thought that Danding could’ve been a good president, had he not been that close at that time to Marcos. I thought, I thought that he had the tools. Kasi akala niya, iniwanan ko siya eh.

Q: Nung SBMA chairman, di ba may kontrobersya tungkol sa bayad ng mga volunteers?
A: Oh yeah.

Q: Anong nangyari dun? Nakasuhan ka ba?
A: Kinaso sa kin yan, remember I was kicked out, and they promised to throw all the book at me. Sedition, they filed 38 cases against me. Kasama na yan. Di ko daw binayaran mga sweldo ng volunteers. Pano mo suswelduhan ang volunteers? Ang pangako ko, pag may trabaho na, kayo ang ipapasok ko. Pero walang sweldo yun.

Q: Pero may allotment for volunteers, di ba?
A: Wala. Wala. Wala. For three years, after three years, I never got a single centavo from the government. On my first year, the government was making money off us. Ang sinasabi nila, kaya naging kaso yan, ang pinapayagan lang na magsweldo, three hundred. Can you run Subic with 300 people, Cheche? You cannot run Subic with 300 people. They might as well run it with 6, 000 Americans. And 34, 000–and about 36, 000 employees. I ran it with 8, 000 volunteers–lumaki ng lumaki yan. And if I did that, I should be hung. Bakit? Nilagay ko nga lahat nung pangalan ng volunteer dun sa wall eh. Why don’t you take a picture of that? Andun lahat yang pangalan ng volunteer. Kaya nagkaganoon, it’s the only one where parang Vietnam wall. Lahat ng pangalan ng volunteer nandun. I even made a monument for them, in front of the flag.

Q: Dun sa 38 cases, meron pa bang pending?
A: Wala.

Q: Wala na?
A: Dismissed lahat. Because pati ba naman yung computer, pati ba naman yung bayad sa gasolina ng Victory Liner na binigay na nga yung bus, nagbayad ako ng 28 thousand yata dahil sa gasolina. Nagalit lang kasi yung COA kay Dennis Mendiola  because pati pizza pie na kinain nila, nago-overtime na, volunteer na, galing sa McKenzie, aba’y hinahanapan pa ng resibo ng kung anu-ano. All of them dismissed. Walang tumuntong sa Sandiganbayan diyan, ni isa. And remember, Erap Estrada was the president.

Q: Which means?
A: Which meant that he was after me. Alam naman na nilabanan ko siya.

Q: Are you friends?
A: I can always be friends with anybody, but I can never vote for him.

Q: You’re still chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon?
A: Yes.

Q: Has that brought you any controversies?
A: I don’t want them to think that I’m using it. I already came out with, si kuwan, si tumatakbo pa ngayon sa Capiz. That’s why I cry for our country. Yung Sandiganbayan, wala namang ginagawa. Yung Ombudsman, walang ginagawa kay Bolante, kay Joc-joc. Di ba napalabas ko sila Paule, napalabas ko lahat yung mga nagtatago? Kinulong pa namin, hindi ba? I have been tough. I have the record of pinakulong ko yang mga ayaw sumagot. Si yung chairman ng PCGG, di ba? Ayaw sumagot, pinakulong ko yan. O, si Paule, kinulong ko, hinuli ko yan.

Q: Si GMA papakulong mo kung ikaw ang maging presidente?
A: Kung may kaso, yes! Kung may kaso, yes.

Q: You don’t owe her anything?
A: I owe her a friendship na, when I was Secretary of Tourism. She trusted me and she gave me my head. And tourism expanded. I respect her for her work ethic. I do not respect her for her politics. But then in this country, ang pulitika pipilitin kang maging ganyan. Pano ka tatakbo dito, lahat nanghihingi sa yo? Bihira naman yung katulad kong mangmang at siraulo na hindi nagbibigay na, no, no, no, no. Kung gusto niyo, pumunta kayo sa DSWD, pakita niyo to, pumunta kayo sa Red Cross kung meron kayong kailangan.

Q: Masasabi mo bang traditional politician ka?
A: No. I’m not. In fact, I’m far from it. I don’t do things to please people. I do things because it is right. And that is why they think I’m arrogant. And who the hell cares?

Q: You’re a politician, you should.
A: I don’t care. You’re a politician, you–what you see is what you get. I’ve never hidden, I think I’m the most vocal among all the people in politics. I mean, I tell, I tell, I call GMA transactional. She hates me up to now, but we still talk. I think she should be transformational. Leaders have to be transformational. I mean, I wouldn’t do what even other people in the United States does in terms of politics. I mean, I think when you look around, they even accuse me of using Red Cross for politics. I’ve been in Red Cross for years. Look at the Red Cross today, it’s fully modernized. It has four rescue trucks, it has ambulances practically in almost every chapter. We have more rubber boats in Ondoy than the Philippine Navy. And you ain’t seen nothing yet. Our blood banks have been expanded. We have more volunteers. I carry a whistle, so, to set the example to the 143 volunteers. I want 44 in every baranggay who will whistle.

Q: What’s that?
A: When there’s a disaster. Time to evacuate. Who would call the attention of the people when there’s danger. And who will be in charge. Forty-four of them. Who will give blood? Who will give relief? Who will know their neighbors so that they will help? That’s what I call 143–I love you. 1 leader plus 43. 44 in every baranggay. Lahat ng ginawa ko, lasts for a long time.

Q: What’s your stand, I’ve asked this of all of the people that–
A: Go ahead. First let me tell you, among all of these guys who want to be president, I’m glad that you’ve asked about it, I want to be president to lead, not the position. Leadership is action, it is not position. Ang liderato ginagawa, hindi ito titulo. Ito ay hindi posisyon, ito ay aksyon para maiangat mo ang taong bayan. Hindi ka doon para mag-abot. Hindi ko sasabihin, ako para sa mahirap. Gusto ko iangat ko ang mahirap at alam ko kung anong gagawin ko para maiangat ang mahirap, hindi slogan.

Q: Anong gagawin mo?
A: Well, number one, health and education. Itataas ko ang antas ng education. I will be an education president, I will be healthy president; make sure that everybody is healthy in this country. How will I do that? Well, unang-una ang education natin napakasama. My gosh, I mean ang sweldo natin sa teacher, 12 thousand, 14 thousand. Ang sweldo ng isang teacher sa Singapore, 122 thousand. Four and a half million people, ang budget nila, 322 billion. Tayo, 96, 92 million people, ang budget natin, hundred seventy billion. Ano ba namang klaseng, it doesn’t take a genius to say mali yun, di ba? So, unahin muna–number 3 education, number 1 utang, number 2 ang IRA ng local government. Kaya yung IRA ng local government, magalit na sila sa kin, kailangan dagdagan yung education dun. Because kung hindi tayo mag-eeducate, yan ang pinaka-pundasyon natin, yan ang semento natin. Hindi tayo aasenso. People will keep on going abroad. Pangatlo, I don’t mind telling you, I think kung makakapagtext tayo ng marami, makakatawag tayo sa telepono ng malaki, seventy-two million people have cellphones at kumikita yung mayayaman sa malalaking kompanya, siguro panahon na para pag-isipan natin gusto ba talaga natin na umasenso yung anak natin, yung kapitbahay natin para magkaroon ng edukasyon. Because ang gap sa education, 57 thousand classrooms. Ang gap sa education, kulang tayo sa teachers. So kung magtatabi at kukunin ko yung kita ng cellphone companies at itabi nila, ten centavos for every text or ten percent nung kita nila sa text, if there are, you’ll get 73 billion pesos a year. And then you can address health. Sixty-seven percent of our kids masakit ang tiyan. 97 percent have no access to doctors or dentists, masakit ang ngipin. 97 percent. Marami sa kanila, 21 percent, sumisibat na, malnourished. So kailangan ipasok mo dyan at i-pump prime mo yung economy in one year, two years, yung perang yan gamitin mo, gawin mo lahat ng eskwela, pakainin ang bata, lagyan ng dentista, doctor, o kailangan, bago ka maging dentista o doctor, meron kang duty sa eskwela na dapat umiikot. So, iyan. Tapos, pano ko iaangat ang mahirap? Agriculture. Kami, 41 percent of our people ay nasa lupa nasa kanayunan. Ang production ay 17 percent lang ng GDP. Iangat mo. Better seedlings, siguro better for agriculture, in terms of, yung mga sirang mga irrigation, ipagawa natin. At, baba ang importation natin. Number 8 tayo sa production sa bigas. Pwede tayong maging number one katulad ng North Cotabato. They were there. Poorest province in the Philippines before, naging 29 sila. Papano? Agriculture. In 9 years, because of good governance, nagsama yung dalawang tao doon, mahusay sila. Ngayon number one sila sa rubber, number one sila sa fruits, number one sila. So, tourism. Sa Iloilo, nagtayo ng dalawang lamesa. Ngayon ang kanyang restaurant malaki pa dun sa  labingwalong basketball court. Yung mga anak niya meron nang kuwan. San galing yan? Tourism. San kami galing? Ako, san galing? Tourism. Bawat dumating na bagong pera ng Amerikano dito na dollar, napaaral kami, natulungan ang madaming tao. So, sa turismo, natulungan tayo, we have 7107 islands. Ang dami nating beach kaya world of wonders tayo, WOW! Philippines! Kaya yun, tataas tayo dyan. Ang laki ng kita sa tourism sa buong mundo. One million tourists equals one million dollars. So, dagdagan mo ang promotion. Ginawa ko na yang tourism bill. Ginagawa ko yan. Tourism Bill is already approved. Nakakapasok ang mga tourist enterprises. Kailangan mo ng marketer. Kailangan marunong magmarket. Ako, naipasok ko lahat ng negosyo dito. Ang ginamit ko, taong bayan. Nagvovolunteer sila. Kita niyo. Ang ganda pa, kumpleto pa sa airport, sa seaport at lahat. Kaya nating gawin. Madami pa. Gusto mo pa?

Q: Eto na yung mga common questions, population, anong stand mo?
A: Aba’y dapat may responsibilidad ang tao. Madaling sabihin yan pero ang aim, unahin mo muna ang vision mo: quality population. Kailangan mag-anak ka, kalidad yung anak mo. Therefore, kailangan pag lumampas ka ng dalawa, tatlo ka na, bayad ka na sa public school. Bayad ka na sa ospital, wala nang born free.

Q: So you’re for the reproductive health bill?
A: Yes but I want people to have access to whatever is there, it’s not gonna harm them. Yung contraceptives.

Q: Free choice?
A: Choice! I think, they have a choice.

Q: So pwedeng artificial, pwedeng natural?
A: So long as hindi tinutulak ng gobyerno, ha? Basta alam na yan. Pag pumasok siya sa health, eto ang pwede mong gawin para dalawa lang alam mo, dahil babae ko nga pangatlo.

Q: So you will put a cap, like you’ll do a China policy?
A: China, Singapore, lahat yan pare-pareho yan.

Q: You’ll do that?
A: Oo. Pero hindi cap na huhulihin kita. Pag lumampas ka, bayad ka. Dito sa ospital nung araw nung mayor ako, walang born free. Eh seven minutes kang magpakasarap eh tapos nine months kang maghahanda, tapos sisilong ka sa gobyerno.

Q: Mindanao, NPA peace process?
A: Three things. Corruption, number one. Number 2, yang giyera. Number 3, etong bagyo. We all have to be smarter. Ang tagal-tagal na niyan eh. Kung nakakausap mo si —, sinasauli sa kin yung tatlo. Nagpunta ako dun sa Mindanao, kinuha ko yung mga prutas nila, nakita ko, fruits of hope. Ginawa ko yung mga mangosteen. Limampiso lang isang pulutong dun mangosteen dun eh 130 pesos dito Dinala ko dito. O, eh di tuwang-tuwa yung mga taga-Mindanao. Imbes na giyera ang dalhin mo dun, isang barko ng Philippine Navy ang dalhin mo dun, isang C-130, tuwing babalik, ibalik mo yung prutas hanggang masanay na masarap pala yung Mindanao na, mangosteen ng Sulu, in North Cotabato, yung palang mga Lanao, gawin mo yung, ayusin mo yung Lanao lake.

Q: Ganun ba kasimple ang Mindanao peace process?
A: Panaginip ko pa, estudyante pa ko, history major ako. Bakit eight provinces lamang. Hindi provinces ang nag rebolusyon. Tao ang nagrebolusyon. Yung Muslim, umpisa pa lang, Lapu-lapu na, lumaban, di ba? O ngayon, nasan si Lapu-lapu? Hiningi ko sa Koreano. Kayo ang naging mayaman dahil sa Pilipino, ibigay niyo samin ang regalong tulad ng Statue of Liberty sa New York na binigay ng France, bigay niyo s amin yung Lapu-lapu monument. Muslim, Muslim from Cebu, Bisaya-Mindanao. Tagalog-Christian, Rizal. Magkasama sila. The Statues of Liberty of our country. Fruits of hope. Nine-three. Lahat nilagay ko yun sa bandila para hindi tayo nag-eexclude. We include. Para sa ganun, ang tao natin, malinaw na hindi natin iniinclude, andun ako sa Mindanao, kailangan–no, no, no. We’re not divisive. Kailangan ibigay natin yan and above all, ipasok mo yung agri–imagine, sa ARMM, alam mo naman yun ang pinakamahirap eh. Eh, bakit, takot yung mga leader na swetuhin yung mga leader dun. Kailangan yung pera umabot sa baba. Aba’y pag hindi niyo kayang gawin yan, I will put a military governor there and I will make sure that schools are built. I will make sure that teachers get their professional certificates, because right now, hindi makakuha ng eksamin, ako pa sumulat kay Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo nung senador na papuntahin mo yung PRC dyan dahil hindi maka–volunteer yung teachers eh, hindi sila sumusweldo. Yung kanilang pera sa GSIS, hindi binibigay. Binubulsa! Eskwela, ospital. Biro mo ang toilet sa Mindanao, 248, 251 toilets, 251 students to one toilet bowl? Excuse me, sa estudyante. Eh talagang magrerebolusyon ka. Eh sabi mo, maghanapbuhay ako, hindi ko maibenta yung aking durian, hindi ko maibenta yung, eh samantalang magpadala ka lang ng barko ng Navy dun, kunin mo, dalhin mo sa Cebu kagad, kita na, diba? Bakit hindi magawa yan?

Q: Corruption. You said something about corruption?
A: Ah, corruption eh kahit na sino ka pang presidente pagka-ikaw guilty, kulong ka. Kinulong ko na rito, mga pulis, nanghuhuli ako ng mga leader na mga nagloloko

Q: How do you solve corruption? I mean, parang–
A: Live by example. Kaya nagsisimula yan, may quota ang presidente. Usually, sa customs. May quota sa BIR.

Q: Kaya ba nagresign si BIR?
A: Hindi ko sinasabi yan. Ang sinasabi ko lang, pag hindi mo nakukuha ang quota dahil, alam mo naman ako, transactional ang society natin. Yang mga tao ko dyan, baka ma-impeach ako, kailangan meron akong pangbigay dyan?

Q: Are you talking about somebody we know?
A: Yes. Everybody we know. You know, hindi naman uso yung envelopmental journalism sa inyo lang eh Envelopmental– (CLL: Ah, hindi uso samin yan ha) legislation. Oy, pareho tayo niyan, ako’y hindi nagbibigay niyan. I have no reputation for that. But, nung panahon ni Marcos, meron silang tinatawag na yung guidelines. Pag pumunta ka dun, meron. Ginawa rin ni Gloria yan. Ba’t ka magtataka? Yun ang pulitika natin yan eh. Pagbaba ni Congressman, pagbaba ni Mayor, hihingian ka. O, anong ibibigay mo? Magju-jueteng yan. Anong ibibigay mo para may jueteng? Tapos pati nga, you know, it’s the same ball game. Somebody has got to have–

Q: Somebody has to blow whistle.
A: A generational shift, not blow the whistle. A generational as well as very timely shift na malaman ng tao, the sheriff, there’s a sheriff in town.

Q: Is that you?
A: Yes. I could do that.

Q: Okay.
A: No doubt in my mind, I can do that.

Q: Debt problem?
A: Debt. I would negotiate, I would use all my skills as a lawyer and somebody that can commit–I will show you. If I eradicate corruption, if I’m to use — if I’m to use all these, bigyan mo ko ng debt reduction. Ako, hindi ako naniniwala na pahingi, maawa kayo sa kin. No. I have to show I did it. Pinagvolunteer ko ang tao, pinautang ako ng World Bank kaagad. Binigyan ako ng grant. Nagbigay pa nga. Nakita nila yung ginagawa ko sa Intramuros isang hapon, binigyan ako. 5 million dollars grant. Grant. Bigay. Ginagawa ko yung — wall. I’m the only one who has historical shift. I have built light and sound museums, Nakikita niyo sa Cavite, meron yang Victories of the Revolution. Dito sa Olongapo, meron. Dun sa Intramuros, merong light and sound yung Bagumbayan ng Rizal. I put up the monument of Rizal in Intramuros. I also put up a Miguel Malvar. I’ve done Intramuros, inayos ko yung Intramuros sa Ozamis. Lahat yan, naayos ko lahat ng historical ano na yan because I respect our history. A president who does not know about his history, will not let his people know about history and we are never gonna see our future, we’re not gonna be confident. Wala tayong kumpyansa.

Q: Pork barrel?
A: Well, kailangan ng pork barrel. I mean, kung ikaw nasa probinsya, kung hindi ka malakas, hindi ka kasama sa budget. Ang congressman, hinahanapan palagi niyan. Okay sa kin yan pero accountable ka ba? San mo dinala yan? Publish mo kung san mo dinala at sinong contractor at magkano yung project. Eh ganun lang naman yan eh. Don’t fix the blame. Wag mong sisihin. Hanapin natin ang solusyon.

Q: As president, you’ll have power over that pork barrel. And we know, pag hindi ka gusto, hindi ka kapartido, wala kang pork barrel.
A: Hindi ko gagawin yan. We don’t have time to play politics. You only have one term. Dapat kunin mo lahat para sabay-sabay ang martsa.

Q: Foreign trips?
A: I will travel because I have to sell the country, but I will not travel in big entourages. No congressmen, unless they’re necessary. No governors, no nothing, unless–but I will allow them to travel if they want to but they have to make a report.  When I was in Subic, I have not brought all these, I couldn’t have brought FedEx, I could not have brought Acer. I went to Taiwan, I went to Subic, I went to Japan, I went–I will be a business-oriented president. I will not sign a memorandum of agreement. Kalokohan yan, walang nangyayari, ginagawa ng lahat ng ano yan. I will bring the business right here and I will make sure I will invite them. Mahatir used to do that. He will travel in a small jet, he will go to Japan, he will talk to Panasonic. I will protect you there. Panasonic has several hectares right away in a Mahatir’s Malaysia–

Q: But can’t GMA say the same thing when she goes, all of the congressmen and all of her entourage are necessary kasi Committee Chairman …
A: Ginagawa lang niya yun para she’ll start to get loyalty from them.

Q: Change in the Constitution.
A: Yes, I’m in favor of it. I campaigned against it, but not during GMA’s term. I will tell the public, I will change the constitution, if I become president. Why? I will tell them where I want change, malinaw sa kin. I will maintain a presidential form, two party-system.

Q: Only?
A: Only. You have to hit the two-party system para ikaw ang accredited. And then finally, sa constitution, I will let, in certain respects, foreign ownership in business. Kailangan within so many years, kailangan nagawa yung pabrika, yung lahat ng yan. I will change the law on no foreign military bases, troops or facilities. I’m opening myself up here now. Why? Because kung may gyera ba tayo, tatawag ka ng troops sa ibang bansa, tutulungan tayo? Sandali lang ha, iaamend muna namin yung constitution, o mag-treaty muna tayo. You have no time for that. Kailangan, foreign policy must not be shackled.

Q: So you’re going to allow the Americans to come back?
A: No, I did not say that. I just said, I just want foreign, I just want kung kailangan natin ng tulong, hindi na tayo kailangan makipag-treaty ng mabilisan. Kung kailangan, mapapasok na yan.

Q: Not to have bases here, not to based?
A: Not to be based. Just in case of a crunch.

Q: EO 464? Executive privilege?
A: I will be an open president. I’m a very transparent person. I tell everybody what I’m doing. I answer all questions.

Q: So why didn’t you file a case against GMA when she refused to testify in your senate blue ribbon committee?
A: I never asked her to come here.

Q: Why didn’t you ask her?
A: I don’t know. I mean, in the first place, unang-una, if I were president, I would assert that. Hindi na ako kailangan mag testify sa kongreso, but I will allow cabinet men to testify.

Q: But, she used EO 464?
A: Mali nga yun. Kaya siya nasisira. Alam mo, pagka may sinabi ka, gawin mo. Pag sinabi mong hindi ka na tatakbo, naipit ka na. Tumakbo ka ulit eh. Yun ang problema.

Q: Sa bagay. “I am sorry.”
A: Yun ang problema.

Q: First 100 days?
A: Naku, alam ko ang gagawin ko kaagad.

A: If you made me president, di alam ko kaagad ang gagawin ko. I will tell everyone right away, all local officials, we’re on the same page, we will make Philippines a highly-developed nation by the year 2020. Paspas tayo. Paspas tayo. Kailangan natin yan.

Q: Anong una mong gagawin, will you–
A: I will call the military and the police, peace and order and respect the rights of our people, implement the law. Number one, I want all mayors to clean up the cities, I want everybody to make sure that there’s government mararamdaman. Pangalawa, para magkaroon ng–I will say, tourism is number one. Kailangan mabilis tayong makakuha ng tourists dito kaya kailangan natin ng peace and order, kailangan kong malinis ang bayan. Kailangan ng kultura ang tourism, open natin. Kailangan maghanda tayo na pumasok dito para makabalik na yung tao natin para kumita sila dito. Number one, just to show you, ayusin ko yung Intramuros. Lahat ng museo, dyan ko ilalagay. Yung post office gagawin kong six-star hotel, parang Fullerton Hotel. Post office yun, ginawang hotel sa Singapore (CLL: Tatanggalin mo yung post office?) Yes. Oo. Wala naman na eh, email lang ngayon, lahat na Internet na. Wala na yung ilog sa Pasig, linisin mo yung Pasig at lagyan mo yung magkabila niyan ng boulevard na pwede mong maglagay ka ng two-storey buildings na kunyari during the time of the Spanish, negosyo dyan, lahat ng restaurant. Ang Escolta, buksan mo, pedestrian, ang Chinatown, ayusin mo.

Q: Di mo lalagyan ng carnival lights?
A: Hindi ko kailangan niyan.

Q: What’s in Roxas Boulevard now? What did Lito put there?
A: Ah yung mga garish lights. You’ve got to admit, by the way, I told Lito that. Ang gusto ko lang sana, ayusin namin yung Roxas. Gusto namin, ayusin yung Roxas Boulevard, pero ang sabi ko sa kanya, kailangan, kako, Lito, ireclaim muna natin para may paradahan. At para talagang pagpumarada ka, makakaparada yung pamilya mo, hindi nakaharang sa traffic. At pagkatapos, maluwag pa yung paglalagyan mo ng mga nego-negosyo dun.

Q: At saka wag naman circus lights.
A: No naman circus lights. I don’t agree with the lights, but you must admit na attracted yung mga tao dun. (CLL: Not me) You don’t like it, kanya-kanyang lasa. Each one to his own taste.

Q: Who’s the man to beat in twenty ten?
A: No one.

Q: No one.
A: Ang kampanya po sa 2010 ay napakasimple. Una, pera palagi. Wag kayong masisilaw sa pera, manakawan kayo niyan. Nakikita sa track record ng lahat ng taong gumagastos ng pera, ginamit ni Marcos. Nanakawan ang bayan, definitely. Nung mga bata tayo, di ba, guns, goons ang gold? Di ba gold? Hanggang ngayon, ganun pa rin. Pera. Pangalawa, pedigree. Dalawang P na yan. Pedigree. Aba’y kailangan tatay ko, nanay ko si ganito, si ganun. Aba’y hindi. Ako tatay ko rin, magaling. Mahaba rin yung prusisyon nung punerarya nung pinatay ang tatay ko. Seventy thousand people came out. Hindi ko pinangangalandakan yan. Pangatlo, performance. Track record. Tingnan niyo, eksaminin ninyo bago umalis yung kandidatong yan sa probinsya. Kamusta yung kanyang probinsya? Tingnan niyo ang kakayahan niya. Siya ba’y ehekutibo, siya ba’y executive, nag-mayor ba siya, nag-governor ba siya? Siya ba ay humahawak talaga ng maayos sa pamamaraan para makita at ano ang naging track record niya doon? Ano ang kanyang integridad? Ano ang kanyang vision? Saan ka niya dadalhin? Mas magandang alam mo kung saan ka pupunta, sapagkat pag alam mo kung san pupunta, kaya mo nang dumiskarte. Mahirap yung walang vision na presidente. At kailangan, makita mo na kaya niyang baguhin ang anyo ng ating bansa sapagkat ang isang leader, binabago yung mukha, ugali, at kakayahan ng kanyang bansa. Kung ang isang leader, walang ganyan, wag niyong iboto yan. Sapagkat ako, sa lahat ng ginawa ko, pinapalabas ko yung galing ng Pilipino. Kung ang isang tao, kayang magbago, ang bayan kaya, hindi kaya? Kung si Pacquiao kaya, sa kanyang larangan na pinili, yung skill, nakita ko yan, bata pa. Sabi ko, magcha-champion ‘to, magkaroon lang ng skillful coach, sa mga pista, nakikita ko yan nung araw. Naging magaling siya. Yun ba sapat na yung pera? O mas maganda kung may integridad, character–yun ang mahalaga.

Q: Are you describing yourself?
A: I have to. That is my experience. I have to sell myself. That is what I do. Is there something wrong with that? I would rather think that if the others can describe themselves in the fashion, hanggang dun lang sila. Kasama ko ang mga artista, ineendorso ako. Kasama ko ang mayayaman sa Pilipinas, ineendorso ako. Aba, sapat na ba yun? Tingnan muna natin. Ano ba ang naging track record ng pamilyang yan sa probinsya nila? Ang dami-dami na nilang nagsiksikan dyan, lahat na ng pwesto nakuha nila. Yung isa naman, naging speaker, naging speaker, naging senador. Naging senate president, nabitawan niya yung pagka-senate president, naimbestigahan ngayon sa kanyang kaso. Tingnan nating maigi yan. Fair game yan. Ako rin, fair game. Maraming nagkaso sa kin, na-dismiss. Tingnan niyo, ‘tong pamamahay ko, ito. Nakikita naman ninyo ako, eh, ang aking bisyo sa buhay, kung minsan napag-aawayan namin, nagseselos ang asawa ko sa Red Cross dahil pagka-wala ako sa senado, ang trabaho ko ay nandun sa probinsya, tumutulong. We have built fifteen thousand homes in the country sa Reming, sa Milenyo. I have made myself, I have acquitted myself sa international community. Tayo po ay governor ng International Red Cross, nakita niyo po yung papuri ng, sa ating bansa ng presidente ng Red Cross dahil nailabas natin yung mga hostages at hindi lang naman po yan eh. Nun pang 2000, nilabas po natin yung 23 hostages ng Abu Sayyaf ng twenty–2000. Wala akong trabaho, hindi ko po tinanggap yung trabaho ko sa Dubai na one million dollars sana a year para gumawa ng freeports all over the Middle East. Hindi po ako nag-OFW. At ang totoo po niyan, kung titingnan po ninyo, ang ating record ay malinaw na malinaw na lahat ng ginawa ko, minodernize ko. At ang pinakamalaki, kung tatanungin mo ko, accomplishment ko, binabago ko ang ugali ng mga tao. What this country needs ay pagbabago ng kalooban natin at hindi lang pagbabago ng liderato natin. The other thing about me, Cheche naman, is my intensity, my passion is misconstrued. What kind of leader will you be without passion?

Q: I forgot to ask you pala about your nephew, si JC.
A: He’s free. He has his own person.

Q: May conflict ba yun sa familia niyo?
A: Naku. No, I love my sister a lot. I love JC. Nag reunion kami isang beses, para siyang nahiya, sabi ko, “Halika dito, dito ka sa tabi ko.” We do that. And to my mind, ganyan rin ako nung bata ako eh. Pinipigilan ako ng nanay ko tumakbo sa Con-con. I became the youngest delegate in the Constitutional-convention. At–

Q: You see JC, you see yourself in JC?
A: I see what I wanted at the time in JC. He wants to make his mark, I think he still has to earn it. You don’t inherit position. Hindi mo minamana ang pwesto. Kaya yung anak ko si Brian, tumakbo siyang councilor, nanalo siya. Tapos sabi ko, tumakbo yung uncle niya, si Bong, kapatid ko. “Brian, palagay ko, mag-negosyo ka muna katulad ng sinabi sa kin ng lolo mo, magnegosyo ka muna para meron kang sariling kakayahan na maipapakitang ikaw. Alam mo, konsehal ka, you can be mayor any time if you want to. Dadaanin mo sa galing yan, hindi dadaanin sa dahil anak ka ni Dick Gordon.” So he did not run.

Q: Dick, sa SBMA, ang tawag daw sa yo ay “share-man?”
A: Dito?

Q: Oo.
A: Ay, alam mo naman dito, magaling tayo magpangalan. Share-man? Bakit? If you go around, anong negosyo ko dyan? Wala naman akong negosyo dyan sa loob ng base. In fact, nanghihinayang ako. Sabi nung mga tao ko, “Kami, nanghihinayang kami sa inyo Mayor pati ikaw dapat kang manghinayang, minsan naiisip ko na yan.” Bakit, anong paratang sa kin na yan? “Ah, wag mong iboto yan, magaling yan pero walang pera yan. Di ba, yun ang paratang sa kin. Magaling yan, walang pera yan. O, kung ako ba nangurakot, meron ba kayong naririnig na smuggling dito nung panahon ko? Ng kotse, ng sigarilyo, ng alak, ng langis? Wala. Ako lumikha ng kabuhayan dito.

Q: Yung privatization ng water district, kayo daw may-ari?
A: Ha?

Q: Privatization of the water district?
A: Dito sa Subic?

Q: Oo.
A: Yan ang isang malaking kasinungalingan. Ngayon ko lang narinig yan. Bago yan.

Q: Diktador daw kayo?
A: Pangalan ko Dick pero hindi ako -tator. Alam mo hindi ako magaling eh. Ang Dick matalino–Dick-tionary. Gumagamot ng tao, me-Dick. Pinag-aralan ko nung isang gabi lang, yang dalawang yan.

Q: Sigurado ka na bang tatakbo ka bilang presidente?
A: You will find out, because ako, takot ako pero hindi ako duwag.

Q: Takot ka, pero hindi ka duwag.
A: Marami nang akong okasyon na tinakot ako at pagtinakot ako, sinasabi ko hindi ako duwag. Lahat dapat ng tao may pangamba dahil—

Q: Ano ang pangamba mo dito sa pagtakbo sa–
A: Well, every pangamba–wala kang pera masyado, di ba? Ayoko ring humingi ng pera sa malalaking tao, pero kaya kong humingi ng pera, kung kailan na kailangan natin. Pero kailangan ipakita mo, wala, mananalo ka, yun bang ganun. Dapat baguhin na ng Pilipino yung pag-iisip na walang pera yan, walang partido. Wala nang partido ngayon sa totoo lang, pero dapat, meron kang prinsipyo. Prinsipyo na nakasulat sa isang partido. Kaya yung partido ko, Bagumbayan. Binalik ko sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas nung sinipa si Raja Soliman ni Legaspi, ni Goite dun sa Lumos, ginawa niya yung Bagumbayan. Dun tayo pinaslang lahat. Kaya alam mo, Cheche, hindi ko tinatawag na Luneta yung Bagumbayan. Luneta is “luna,” may kapilyuhan ang utak ko eh. Luna is moon. Lunatic–parang sira ulo kasi lahat na pinagpapapatay tayo dyan. Bakit nila biglang binago na naging, yung Bagumbayan nawala, Luneta–naging lunatics, because ganun nga ang bansag sa atin halos. Hindi man nila sabihin, yun ang nangyayari sa atin. Kaya tayo, nagiging lunatics tayo kung ang iniisip natin, wala tayong kaya. Puro takot tayo. We have to be risk-takers.

Q: So, meron ka bang takot?
A: Yes, may pangamba ako, dahil masakit. Masakit rin kapag kinukutsa ka na “wala kang pera, wala kang–” Lalo mo akong kutsain, lalo akong lalaban.

Q: So hindi ka duwag?
A: Hindi ako duwag.

Q: Lalaban ka.
A: Yes. Kaya nagkakamali yan sila Chiz. Kung minsan, nauuna yung salita sa gawa.

Q: Ginigipit mo daw yung mga hindi sumusunod sa iyo, hindi ka nagbibigay ng permit sa businessmen na hindi sang-ayon sa mga patakaran mo o hindi mo kakampi?
A: Natawa ako eh. Alam mo, nakakalungkot, nung inalis ako sa Subic, lahat nung mga kalaban ko, sila ngayon ang may negosyo dyan.

Q: Ganun?
A: Yes. Ituturo ko sa inyo. Ituro nila sa kin yan kung anong negosyo ko dyan at bulatlatin natin sa SEC. Ituro nila. Ang negosyo namin dito, meron kaming isang hamburger kuwan, yung mga anak ko. Aba, ang naglagay nung hamburger dyan sa loob eh kasosyo yung kalaban ko eh. Yung mga hotel dyan, kasosyo yung kalaban ko. Lahat yan. At saka, binaboy nila yung environment eh. Alam mo, madaling magparatang. Patunayan niyo. Patunayan niya.

Q: Di ba yun yung sabi ni Marcos?
A: Aba’y hindi. Ako kaya kong patunayan. O bakit, nung araw pa, bata pa ‘ko, mas may kaya kami kesa ngayon. Nung araw, ang sinehan namin, kaming mag-asawa, apat ang sinehan namin. Nasira lahat. Restaurant namin, kabila-kabila nung araw, pero we’re comfortable. We’re not filthy rich.

Q: Is there no such thing as “Gordon Country?”
A: What Gordon country? The Gordons are from Scotland, then they went to Russia, then they went to America. I don’t claim Gordon as Gordon country. Pinapalitan ang pangalan nito nung araw, nung namatay yung father ko to make it Gordon City, no. Did you see the airport? Ako gumawa ng airport dyan. Ginawa ko yung airport dyan. Did I call it James L. Gordon International Airport? Masama ba na ilagay ko yung pangalan ng tatay ko sa James L. Gordon hospital? Eh ako naman ang gumawa niyan at ang nagpagawa sa kin niyan ang nanay ko, dahil isasara ko na dapat yan dahil lugi. Pero tinayo ko yung ospital noon, nag iba nang Pinatubo. Tinayo ko uli yang ospital na yan, it’s one of the best hospitals, ang gusto ko, pagka nandyan ang pangalan ko, habang buhay ang Gordon, pananatilihing maayos ang pagsilbi sa ospital. Masama ba yun? Serbisyo yan. At kung pinangalan yung Gordon Avenue rito sa kalye ko, sa kalye ng dyan, di naman ako nagpangalan nun. Tao nagpangalan. Ano bang sinasabi nila, Gordon Heights? Ang dami-daming, libu-libong tao ang nagkaroon ng bahay dun. Bakit, the vision of my father, Gordon Heights. Bakit, MacArthur Park? Bakit, yung si Rizal, milyun-milyon.

Q: I guess what they’re referring to is your influence, yung lawak ng impluwensya mo?
A: Dito?

Q: Oo.
A: Ako, ang tao dito, kung gusto nila ako, okay. Kung ayaw nila sakin, wag na.

Q: We interviewed JC, na sinabi ni JC yung dynasty. Gordon dynasty. Kung sakali kayo’y maging presidente, will you enourage your wife, your son to run for public office?
A: My wife has already been a congresswoman. (CLL: Yeah, I know) ayaw niya. My wife was mayor and she became the best, the Mayor’s for Peace Prize Awardee more than I did. Why will you say dynasty? Kennedys, are they dynasty? The Bushes, are they a dynasty? There are many, the Rockefellers. Ang anak ng pulis, tatay niya usually pulis. Abogado, anak niya nagiging abogado. Engineer, nagiging engineer. Ang teacher lang nag-aanak ng doktor, engineer, lawyer, eto medyo mahina ulo, gawing pari. Hindi, biro lang yun! Ang nagsasabi nung araw niyan, Jesuit. Ang sinasabi ko lang, maraming magagaling pari, one of my cousins is a bishop, si Tagle, Chito Tagle. Remember, Cavite? But ang sinasabi ko lang, minsan ang Pilipino, naloloko sila dun sa mga title. Dapat ang analytical, ang pag-iisip natin ang baguhin natin. Hindi tayo sunud-sunod dun sa sasabihin na mas magaling, akala natin mas magaling sa tin. Ito magaling ito. Wag kang basta-basta susunod. Sukatin mo. Ikaw ang mag-isip at kung magaling, kahit na may kapatid siyang mayor, may kapatid siyang presidente, boto mo. Masama kung ipinipilit yung walang laman. Kasalanan mo yun.

Q: So when we talk about dynasties, I think Dick, you understand what we’re trying to say about dynasties, no?
A: That’s why–

Q: There’s a president who pushes her son to run for congress, the other son has another vacancy, another congressional seat.
A: Because they’re afraid.

Q: That’s what we mean by dynasties.
A: I’m not afraid. My son, I have no direct family na ngayon ay councilor or mayor. Maybe someday, if they ask me, “Son, if you’re going to run, be the best there is.”

Q: So will you encourage them or not?
A: No, I’ve never encouraged them. My sons and–they’re, they’ve also became very lonely like I was.

Q: You sent them away kasi.
A: No, I did not send them away. Believe me, akala ko hindi na lalabas–babalik yung, yung nakaturok na fish hook sa puso ko. Yun ang pakiramdam nung mayor ako, pinauwi ko sila sa Maynila. Para akong kuwan. Yung anak ko, nasa America. Araw-araw, nagii-Skype kami niyan. I’m a very loving father. Sometimes, when my children disappoint me, I will not talk with them for a while. But after a while, ako ganun lang. Pag nagalit ako, sandali lang, mawawala yan. But, pag hindi na kita kinausap ng matagal talaga, iba yan. What I’m saying to you is simply this. I don’t judge people by their covers or by their titles. There are 49 thousand attorneys in this country, you don’t have justice. You may have as many, many people in this country with the same name, but if you don’t make a difference, what is it all about? When you die, people will forget you? It is really just at your time, at the time of challenge, where were you? Anong ginawa mo? Because all of us are challenged. Dapat walang pipigil sa isang tao na haharap sa hamon ng panahon kung siya ay may kakayahan. At kung hindi niya gagamitin yung kakayahan niya, di ba mas masakit naman yung ginagawa ng iba? Por que medyo kumikislap, kumikinang yun ba’y nagdadala ng liwanag o kadiliman? Ilang beses na tayo naloko dyan? Kumislap lang, kumidlat lang sumandali, naniwala na tayo. Hindi kislap sa isang madilim na bansa ang kailangan mo. Kaliwanagan. At yan, ang magdadala niyan ay hindi lamang ang leader, ngunit ang tulong-tulong na pagliwanag ng kaisipan ng bawat Pilipino. Yan ang magdadala ng liwanag.

(Publication of the transcript was made possible by VERA Files trustee Booma Cruz, who is the general manager of Probe Productions.)