HE was slumped on the couch, fast asleep, catching up on his 40 winks. Someone woke him, time to open Kapihan sa Manila Hotel. He jumped up, wide awake, apologizing for the need to compensate for lack of sleep, having had to monitor the weather at 2 a.m. before deciding whether to cancel classes. Five hours later he was attending a flag ceremony and presiding over a press conference in City Hall, and at 9:30 he was at the Manila Hotel.
Most of the time “Yorme Kois” is bright-eyed and bushy tailed, hungry for breakfast at 8, “the usual.” Unless intervening events interfere, he can look forward to bedtime before midnight. The man is not out to create legends of himself as a superman or supermayor. He hasn’t bothered to beef up security, even with all the enemies he has made, quoting his own slogan: “Manila, God first.”
After 90 minutes of Isko’s exchange with Samahang Plaridel, I asked a news editor which angle would make it to page one. She said, “So much to choose from, can’t decide yet.” By this time, three days after that meeting, most if not all of those stories would’ve been yesterday’s news, so I will stick to the less public side of Isko Moreno Domagoso. Is the “guapo” factor key to his success? His father was “not Amerikano, but he was goodlooking.” His mother never left the philandering Mr. Domagoso, not even after learning that he had another family. Isko is the only product of that common-law union, and he’s on good terms with his half-siblings, all 10 of them. “This is the first time I’m talking about this.”
Because or in spite of growing up in showbiz, Isko is not eager to push the SOGIE bill: “Don’t get me wrong. My talent manager was gay but he never touched me. I respect you, you respect me.” The mayor will be with Coco Martin in a movie in December for MMFF. Makeup and costumes aside, Isko tells his fans – they were all over him, everywhere at the hotel – “The Isko you see now is the Isko you’ll see tomorrow.” Tomorrow he has a “unique” plan to reinvent Escolta.
Does tomorrow include Malacañang? He’s too clever by half to say that he wants it today.