THESE celebrities are human after all, I said to myself the first time I met Cesar Montano recently in a golf tournament at the Philippine Navy Golf Club in Fort Bonifacio.
Well, at least in the case of Cesar who treated me and all of my Philippine Navy (PN) friends there present like we have known each other for years.
Cesar was invited by my bestfriend, Ten Outstanding Philippine Soldiers 2015 awardee Dennis Gurrea to the 2nd Golf Fundraising Tournament of the Support Your Navy Foundation which aims to honor and care for the strong and credible naval heroes and their families.
Cesar arrived early, a little past six o’clock in the morning. He decided to wait for fellow actor Tonton Gutierrez then ordered sinangag at bangus.
I saw him, his brother Noel and nephew Cliff Mendoza close their eyes to say their prayers before meal.
In between his meal he would talk excitedly about anything and everything but would also listen intently to what his new-found friends from the PN had to say, which included two young lieutenants, a sergeant and even a young apprentice seaman (private).
Again, he would get their names and talk to them like old friends. Every now and then he would rise from the table for picture taking with restaurant staff and guests. He is one of the country’s best and greatest actors after all.
Notable of his films for which he won multiple awards are Rizal, Muro Ami, Bagong Buwan, and Panaghoy sa Suba which he directed.
When it was getting late and he still didn’t receive word after texting Tonton, he decided to tee off, which is the start of the game.
He finished the 18-hole course in about 5 hours and even agreed to wait for the three o’clock awarding where he was awarded lowest net (I just started learning golf yesterday after we met, so I have no idea what the award is all about).
I told him I’ll learn golf so that I could also play with him in the future. “Sure!” he said.
After having lost in the senatorial elections in 2007 and Bohol gubernatorial post in 2010, this doggedly persistent man might just make it this time as party list representative.
“He got 8 million when he ran for senator, we just need 600,000 now so he could make it to Congress,” Cliff told me. Cesar is No. 2 nominee of Aangat Tayo partylist (No. 107). BEEN THERE DONE THAT/JOSEPHINE JARON-CODILLA
