‘Soirée’ is word of the day at Inquirer forum

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista at the Comelec office in Manila. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ARNOLD ALMACEN

“It’s the word of the day,” Commission on Elections (Comelec) official James Jimenez tweeted shortly after Comelec Chair Andres Bautista mentioned the term “soirée” several times in an Inquirer forum on Wednesday.

“Soirée” refers to mixed parties between classes in exclusive male and female high schools.

Except for going to soirées, he’s just a “simple” guy trying to do his job, Bautista said, using the term at least four times during the almost two-hour “Meet Inquirer Media” forum.

Despite a storm rolling in, the first guest of the Inquirer forum gamely took on questions from reporters and editors from the print, radio and online platforms of the Inquirer Group of Companies.

“I’m just a simple person, trying to do his job. Nothing special,” Bautista said in response to a number of questions from netizens following the hashtag #MediaInquirer.

Party-goer

The former chair of the Presidential Commission on Good Government and top executive of several private companies, however, revealed himself a party-goer when “soirée” became his point of reference upon being asked about several political figures.

When an Inquirer editor mentioned that a friend of his had said hello, Bautista, quipped, “ah, ka-soirée natin ’yan (ah, he was with us in soirées).”

Later, the Comelec chair revealed that he had met President Aquino’s cousins through, yes, soirées.

Upon meeting Inquirer president and CEO Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, however, Bautista admitted, “Hindi tayo magka-soirée (We haven’t met in soirées). More of Tessa (Prieto-Valdez),” referring to Romualdez’s elder sibling who writes a society column.

His partying ways did not get in the way of his studies, though, with Bautista graduating with degrees in BS Legal Management and Law from Ateneo de Manila University in 1986 and 1990, respectively. He then taught political science at De La Salle University (DLSU), a career choice that sometimes made for awkward conversation with friends coming from the rival schools.

“[W]hen my La Salle friends ask why I teach at DLSU, I’d reply, ‘Well, I’ve seen the light.’ Now when my Ateneo friends ask why I’m on the other side, I’d say, ‘You know, somebody’s got to teach the heathens,’” Bautista said.

Twists and turns

He did not dream of landing the top post at Comelec, he said, but appreciates the twists and turns that life throws at him.

“In life, I’ve realized you never know what comes your way. I never dreamed of becoming head of the PCGG, or Comelec. It’s the accidents of life, I think, [that] make life interesting,” Bautista said.

But while he’s just raring to do his job, the Comelec chair said he wouldn’t mind not getting confirmed by the Commission on Appointments in Congress.

“It might be a blessing, in fact,” he said with a chuckle. “If somebody else wants the job, I’m not attached to it in that sense. But this is our holy grail: We want a credible election in 2016.”

The official who described himself an Everyman may in fact be just that when it comes to complying with Comelec requirements. As he himself admitted, he has yet to register his biometrics with the agency he heads.

“I still do not have my biometrics,” Bautista said, quickly shifting to a plug for the Comelec’s campaign for biometric registration.

“But I did it on purpose because I know I could get a little media mileage. So in case you want to join me, I’m a voter of the fourth district of Quezon City, and according to the schedule, I’m supposed to go to Trinoma on July 18 to have my biometrics taken,” said the Comelec chair.

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