So my friend #datachimp made an observation the other day, “ever notice how the men in the opposition tend to be soyboys?” I replied, now that you mention it, they really are. I went on to comment about the increasing number of gays on Twitter who support the opposition. It got me thinking about the opposition’s millennial squad; the likes of Richard Heydarian, Atom Araullo, JC Punongbayan, Manuel Quezon III, Vico Sotto and the like. #datachimp went on to say that this is why #kakampinks is appealing to homosexuals.
It got me thinking and it was then I realized that gone are the days when macho men ruled Philippine politics, regardless party affiliation. Manuel Roxas, the founder of the Liberal Party, wasn’t soft like his son Gerry and grandson, Mar. This lends credence to what is generally believed to be true that Roxas had to step in and marry Trinidad De Leon because the Presidential lothario, the Castila, Manuel Quezon, got her pregnant. Roxas’ true love was the opera singer Jovita Fuentes, whom he had to give up to marry De Leon, as Quezon promised him the Presidency if he did, according to oral accounts.
Roxas’ marriage was an unhappy one and he became involved with a Spanish-Irish-American mestiza, Juanita McIlvain. He had three children by her; Rosario, who married Francis Moran, Manuel, who married Mercedes Rufino and Consuelo, who married Angel Javellana. The second Miss Universe of the Philippines, Margarita Roxas Moran, is the granddaughter of Juanita McIlvain.
It’s no secret that most Filipino politicos are misogynists, at least those who could get away with it. But the politicos who held sway in the 50’s through the 70’s and struck a close friendship, always played safe when it came to their philandering for fear of getting caught by their wives. The three are Ninoy Aquino, Danding Cojuangco and Monching Mitra. This is the fate of men who marry strong women in the persons of Cory Aquino, Gretchen Oppen and Cecile Blanco.
Mitra had children by other women. Danding surprised most of Manila society when he moved out of the New Manila home he shared with Gretchen to Forbes Park with Leng Damiles and their two daughters. Ninoy never had a chance with Cory. But legend had it that Ninoy was more smitten with the Iron Butterfly, Imelda Romualdez, whom he met in Pampanga one summer, when she was vacationing with a mutual relative. If Imelda had the same money as Cory did, he would’ve probably married her and that would’ve resulted in an interesting historical twist.
Even Apo Lakay already had a family with Carmen Ortega before he met the Rose of Tacloban. Marcos didn’t marry Ortega because he didn’t think she was First Lady material. The Great Ilocano was looking for the ideal match for his eventual Presidential run. He found it in Imelda Romualdez. Though not affluent like her uncles Miguel and Norberto, Imelda became the talk of Manila society when her father sent her to Manila for college at the Philippine Womens University.
The way it looks now, the old school men are a vanishing tribe from society in general, and politics in particular. What we have now are the softies who don’t drink, smoke and womanize like the old guard. It would be safe to say that our generation, the martial babies or boomers, are the last of the breed of men who practiced the art of seduction, treated women like princesess and had fun in the process.
But there’s also the inconsistency of the stereotype. We’ve had two women Presidents, Cory and GMA. The latter hasn’t been spared from rumors of extra-marital affairs. The First Gentleman wasn’t the only one doing the fooling around. GMA has been linked to her first political mentor, Willie Villarama and her Secretary of Justice, Nani Perez. There are also other reports about the fair-haired boy in her administration, Mike Defensor.
Does this make for gender equality? Are we now seeing the decline of the macho politico in favor of the more politically-correct, gender-sensitive and woke kind? As the Philippines has no political ideology, it is apparent that gender is beginning to define it, drawing the line between conservative and liberal politics.
The hypothesis is still fraught with contradiction though. Why did Duterte win in 2016? Did the public set aside his misogyny or was it simply that the D & E crowd, still doesn’t care about being woke since they are more focused on earning a living than being politically-correct?
In the case of Duterte, he’s not politically tone- deaf like Manny Pacquiao who’s become a bible-thumping evangelist; at least he’d like to think so. The President conforms with the politically-correct viewpoint and even publicly embraces the issue. In the case of Pacquiao, describing homosexuals as animals goes against the basic Christian tenets of compassion and tolerance. This has bedeviled his Presidential run from the beginning. Prior to this, Pac-Man also indulged in the sins of the flesh in quite a public affair with Ara Mina.
Then there’s the Lacson-Sotto tandem which evolved out of the macho bloc in the Senate then composed of Lacson, Sotto and Honasan. Both haven’t been outspoken about gender-equality and SOGIE but they support it since it is the norm. It’s safe to say that their personal views are nowhere near their public stand on the issue. Sotto drew the line though when it comes to trans men using the comfort room for females when there was a furor over an incident at Farmer’s Plaza between a trans man and a female security guard. He’s not sold on the idea that trans men are allowed to use female comfort rooms just because they’re dressed in women’s clothing.
Post-Marcos, we have had Ramos, Erap, Noynoy and Duterte in that order. Ramos’ affair with Baby Arenas was an open secret until it was made public by his national security adviser Joe Almonte. Erap never hid his families and children. In a way, it appealed to Pinoy macho culture and helped him get elected. Noynoy was, well, different. Passed away at 61 without even marrying or having a child out of wedlock. Duterte has never been skittish about his proclivities with women.
BBM squired a bevy of beauties during his younger days, but this was mostly due to his being best friends with Bong Daza, who was a known connoisseur of beautiful women. Marcos eventually married Liza Araneta, the exact opposite of Claudia Bermudez, the daughter of Diana Jean Lopez, whom BBM dated for the longest time.
Then there’s Leni Robredo. She will never admit to it but the opposition canonized saint is far from saintly when it comes to her personal life. It’s obvious that she’s in a relationship with her special assistant, the former Quezon City Congressman Bolet Banal but she will never admit to it. Banal is very much married and there have been no reports that he has filed for annulment. He has been keeping a low profile since the anti-Robredo crowd trained their guns on him.
So what does the Pinoy actually prefer? Will the stereotype change for 2022? Will we have a “weak” Bongbong Marcos for President, a “strong” Ping Lacson or a “strong” Leni Robredo?
The politics of gender and the gender of politics is just as confusing, one way or the other.
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