One on one with the small but terrible one
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Senator Juan Flavier
Photo by B. Tutor
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At the Senate Hall perpetually swept by Manila Bay’s
saline wind, Senator Juan Flavier’s office stood out
among the rest because of a stern warning posted at the door—no
endorsement for visa applications in any embassy; no recommendation
for any job; no solicitations for donation entertained.
Once inside the office, the diminutive senator stood out
among his peers even more strikingly—he was unpretentiously
clad in his casual polo shirt in a barely furnished office
that belied what Upper power he supposedly has.
With a frail voice, he ushered PT publisher and editor-in-chief
Benny Tutor and marketing consultant Francis Moran into his
office. As we sat down, the ex-barrio doctor irritably admonished,
“Shoot your questions within two minutes.”
Once we did, however, he was apparently so worked up that
he analyzed, joked, confided, dared and debated with us for
30 minutes and closed the interview with, “Naisahan
n’yo ako ha!” Here are the excerpts:
Are the logistics and mechanics in place for the 7 million
overseas Filipino voters in 2004?
I hope they won’t all turn out yet, dahil hindi pa kaya.
The fewer the better, the more manageable. We need the cooperation
of NGO’s here, but we still have to see how this arrangement
works.
Tatakbo po ba kayo sa 2004?
Hindi. We have floated this but the results are not encouraging.
The survey results are medium. Party support is very thin.
Of the 80 Lakas members in the Lower House, 53 support Danding
Cojuangco. Financial consideration is also important. It takes
2 to 3 billion pesos to run. And finally, my health. While
it is not serious, I am having it evaluated to see if I can
withstand the rigors of a nationwide campaign. Nalunod sa
float ang aking candidacy.
Which of the above factors brought you to the Senate?
My track record at the DOH. Seven years ago, malakas pa ako
noon. Topnotcher din ako sa survey.
For a midget like you, you made such giant leaps in life—from
obscurity to the limelight, from being a medical practitioner
to being a politician, from the barrio to the national stage.
How did you manage the transition?
I don’t know. I just did my best, lived one day at a
time. I was conscientious, I had perfect attendance. Sabi
ng mother ko, anak, kahit bobo ka basta palaging present,
papasa ka.
Paano po kayo napasabak sa national role, in the first
place?
In the late 60s, Maj. Fidel Ramos was on his way to Vietnam.
He wanted to train his soldiers on rural development. I was
assigned to do it. When he became president in 1992, apparently
he did not forget me because he looked for me to be a secretary
at his cabinet. I said I preferred to work at the barrio.
Pero nagkasubuan na. My approval rating then was fantastic,
92 percent. Ngayon may 60 percent sila, hinihimatay na.
For you to manage this transition, there must be a constant
in both worlds.
The concept of human relations is the same. If you like people,
it will show in both places. I developed a knack for public
speaking in the rural area, which I brought with me to the
campaign trail. Hindi puwede big talk, dapat down-to-earth.
I am impressed by Gloria’s weeklong immersion visit
to Mindanao. What do you think about it?
Thirty years po ako sa barrio. You will exchange it for Gloria’s
seven days? Ang babaw naman ng impression mo! I’m not
impressed at all! I am a result-oriented person.
Being a physician at heart and by profession, ano po ang
diagnosis n’yo ng major ailments ng ating polity?
You make me president first and I’ll tell you. How do
you solve the problem of peace and order, the Mindanao debacle,
graft and corruption, education, housing, health? We’re
almost ungovernable! Mahirap po! It’s easier for the
patient to die!
Masyado naman pong pessimistic!
Tell me what do we do with graft and corruption that’s
all over the place? You tell me that GMA will lead the fight
against graft and corruption? What will she do with her husband?
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