Adjusting to a New Presidency
On a flight from Puerto Princesa to Manila, the Air Force pilot emerged from the cockpit and told the media not to move. He said one of the twin engines of our 32-year-old Fokker had conked out and the pilots would try to safely “glide” the full capacity plane from Sangley Point, where we were, to Villamor Airbase in Pasay City. Some prayed, while others, like me, continued pounding on our laptops, perhaps to distract us from our possible imminent doom. Whether it was because of our collective pledge for a life of sainthood or the expertise of our pilots, we landed safely and beat our deadline.
Estrada had a lighter schedule and so did we. Unlike his predecessor, he shunned formal press conferences and preferred ambush interviews. In such a casual set-up, reporters asked Estrada just about anything they could think of, including matters that did not require a presidential response. Estrada gamely replied to all types of questions, but some of his responses would be clarified by Presidential Spokesman Jerry Barican the following day as they were inconsistent with government policies.
Estrada’s candor and earthy humor provided great soundbytes, but reporters had to exercise their own discretion on what to use, especially when his comments, funny as they were, seemed inappropriate for a Chief Executive.
At the Carabao Center in Nueva Ecija, Estrada was shown how semen was collected from bulls to be used to make test tube “carabao babies”, as he infamously termed them. When told that two bulls would be used to simulate mating, Estrada deadpanned, “A, bakla ‘yung isa (Ah, the other one is gay)?”
Introducing his Tourism Secretary Gemma Cruz Araneta to businessmen at one event, he said with a wide smile, “May asim pa ‘yan (She still has some juice left).” When asked for the title of his movie with Vilma Santos that was patterned after “The King and I”, he told reporters: “King Khayam and I. Pinakita ko ang puwet ko do’n (I showed my buttocks there).”
I was in Bangkok for an in-depth seminar on the Asean when Estrada was ousted. When I returned, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had been sworn into office. There was no transition period for the new administration, and for most of the Palace reporters as well.
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