long overdue

I know of only two Pepes and both are not even known to me on a personal level. I take interest in them however, since Pepe is one of my favorite Filipino names. These two people I know who bear the name/nickname are both great persons.It makes me think then whether or not a name makes a person or the person makes the name. The first pepe I know is undisputedly great.He’s our national hero for crying out loud.  This entry therefore will be about the other Pepe I met some few weeks ago.

A friend of mine, aware of the out of my out of town escapades, asked me if i was interested in "hitching" as she was off to Orion, Bataan to interview a mayoralty candidate for a magazine article she’s working on. Without batting an eyelash, i emphatically said "yes,yes!!!".

I never knew I was in for a real surprise in this trip. My mind was miles away from the interview. I was set on enjoying the countryside.I was excited about the rustic life, anticipating highly how different it is from the other provinces I recently visited. I went there with a very apolitical frame of mind.

I don’t know but I’ve become quite cynical about politicians. There’s a hundred and one reasons out there why this kind of disposition is willingly taken by people not just me. I thought a  lot of them fail to deliver much of what they promise. Worse is when some promise something undeliverable. Anyway, after having seen a couple of really quaint churches and acres and acres of velvety seagreen ricefield, I finally met the man called "kuya Pepe".  he was very simple in a yellow colared shirt with light blue stripes ( i thought it was a nice colored shirt!), a faded denim pants and a flip flop. The pair wasn’t havaiannas but the old, reliable brand I’ve grown to know, " Islander". Cool! I said to myself. We met him in a small eatery that had several photocopying machines lined just outside its entrance. He was photocopying his own materials with no aid from what might typically be seen of a politician. No campaign crew or anyrhing of that sort. He didn’t have any bodyguard either. He just was with a driver/messenger. Cool! I said to myself again. He had simplicity written all over him. I was impressed.

The interview started and inevitably I heard everything that was talked about. I was appalled at what the man chose to give up just to run for mayor. He gave up his american citizenship, and embraced his filipino citizenship once again. That meant giving up the lucrative income among other benefits available to an american citizen ( practically what a lot of filipinos would die to have ). He had a very abundant life in the states ( I wish I could trade lives with him ). If I was earning close to a hundred grand, why on earth will i give it up for a few thousand pesos? I must be totally crazy or I must really love my country. ( so not done yet !!!) gotta go

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