After the October 16 suspense, my good friend Mike Diño, a businessman who also acts as our point man for the Duterte “campaign” in Cebu, invited the Davao City mayor to the birthday celebration of his uncle, a Hong Kong retiree. Mike and I, along with some other friends and relatives of his, make this birthday almost an annual “hegira” because his uncle serves excellent food—and the best wines.
Duterte agreed, so we could all relax, perhaps even to discuss whether he would finally run for the presidency of the land. But a week before what was to be a weekend trip, the mayor’s trusted aide, Bong Go called if we could go earlier as Duterte wanted to be back on Thursday, the 26th. So Tuesday the 24th, we were in Hong Kong. With the mayor and Bong were other friends, Bebot Alvarez of Davao del Norte, Fred Lim of Bicol, my longtime friend and compadre Bingbong Medialdea, as well as Rolly Macasaet, whom I first met during the Erap campaign of 1998 and has remained a friend since.
Just before he announced his decision to place his presidential run “on the table” in Iloilo on the 21st, Bong told us that the mayor also invited Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and some of his close staff to join us in Hong Kong. It was supposed to be “bonding time” before Duterte files his Certificate of Candidacy, ostensibly on December 10.
On Wednesday night, while waiting at the hotel lobby before proceeding to Spring Deer in Kowloon for a sumptuous dinner hosted by Mike Diño’s uncle, a GMA-7 correspondent suddenly appeared. Some OFWs had earlier informed GMA’s resident reporter, Azon Cañete, who herself assists the OFW community there, that they had sighted the mayor in the island. So we invited her and her husband to join us for dinner.
The interview followed, where Cañete asked the mayor about his choice for vice-presidential team-mate. The answer was quick: “Si Alan Peter, kaya nga bitbit ko pa dito sa Hong Kong.” Later that night, the mayor asked Alan to also be his spokesman in the meantime, at least before the campaign started.
After a further bonding session that lasted until past one of Thursday morning, we were still uncertain about exactly when Duterte would file that much-awaited CoC, though all of us hoped it wouldn’t be another “photo-finish”. Bingbong and Fred whispered to me that the CoC and other needed documents were all finished even before the flight to Hong Kong. I stayed behind, along with Mike, because we wanted to attend the Friday night bash of his uncle. Anyway, we were certain Duterte was on his road to destiny, which was all that mattered.
When to file was not as important an issue as the decision to file.
While having lunch with Mike on Friday noon at a newly opened Spanish tapas joint in Wan Chai which my daughter earlier “discovered,” the messages from Davao and Manila came in. Duterte withdrew his candidacy for re-election as Davao City mayor, along with his substitute, Inday Sara, and a few minutes later, Bingbong Medialdea, as his attorney-in-fact, along with another friend, his partner Lorrie Ata, filed the mayor’s CoC for president before the Comelec just a few minutes later.
That night, we began opening Uncle Diño’s wines in his huge Victoria mid-level flat. Mike’s brother, Alan brought with him some dear friends, including the actor Jomari Yllana who told me he was running for councilor in Parañaque, and forthwith Alan and Mike got him to campaign for Duterte. Also with us was chanteuse Rada, the grand-daughter of another legendary movie actor, Lolita Rodriguez, who sang beautifully for Uncle Diño.
Then the acclaimed Filipino wine connoisseur Manny Osmeña arrived, and I got fascinated with his narratives about the different vintages and origins of wine. Before Manny O came in, Mike and I were tasting (downing is perhaps a more accurate term) glasses of Mayer, the red that Obama supposedly served Xi Jinping when he visited the White House because the Napa Valley vineyard was already owned by a Chinese businessman. We also tried earlier an Ornellaia 2006 and a Chateau Latour that I thought was “too old” for my taste. Manny O was a bit livid when a “corked” Grand Vin de Chateau Lafite 1985. “Sayang,” he rued.
When my daughter wondered if there was some white wine which she preferred, Manny O came up with a perfectly chilled Premier Cru Meursault Gouttes D’or 2006, and started teaching us how to sniff wine from the glass, and then appreciate good white, imagining and sensing the different tastes that go with it. The Meursault was definitely excellent.
Looking at me, Manny O said, “Your dad is a tactician, and if I know him, he is beginning to compare wines with politicians”. We all had a good laugh at that. At which time, Mike took out a Staglin which Manny O derided as “too New World” and not to his liking. Still, we tried it, and indeed, even if it was one of Obama’s favorite American wines, the Staglin was no match with the Meursault. It was spirited, giving the tongue an instantly pleasing “shock”, but as you savored the Staglin, you conclude that the Meursault was far more “passionate” and excellent in all respects.
Remembering Manny O’s allusion to presidential candidates, I identified which presidential wannabe was similar to the American Staglin, who was like the “corked” Chateau Latour, properly aged “sana,” “pero nasira ang lasa,” and which candidate was like the Meursault.
Now which one would best represent the other two candidates, which in the latest Pulse Asia NCR survey ranked fourth and fifth, behind Duterte, who topped at 34, Poe who was second at 26, and Binay, who scored 22 ponts?
Someone at another table quipped: “Yung isa, parang tubig, hindi wine. Walang lasa.”
And the other? Nobody could answer. Neither could I.