‘Mr. Palengke’ does a Miriam Santiago, drops pickup lines

By: Marlon Ramos - 9 years ago

Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II Photo by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—From “Mr. Palengke” to “Boy Pickup?”

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas mimicked Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Friday, delivering pickup lines in her style, when he spoke before a group of mayors from Mindanao.

Pickup lines are jokes or funny phrases men use to get the attention of women they have just met.

Roxas, who won President Aquino’s nod as standard-bearer of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) in the 2016 elections, also took the opportunity to bid farewell to the members of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) during their cluster meeting at Grand Regal Hotel here.

Speaking in Filipino, Roxas told the mayors: “While I was on my way here, I told myself I wish the LMP were Saturday and Sunday. That way, I will be the future of LMP. Is that OK?”

Undeterred, Roxas went on: “I wish the LMP were a guitar. Why? So that I can embrace you every time I sing.” He drew applause and laughter.

Santiago as coach?

Roxas followed it up with: “I wish the LMP were an airport and I’m an airplane so that wherever I go, I will land on the LMP.”

But Roxas, who has been trying to fight off a seemingly snobbish image, obviously needs some coaching from Santiago, herself a one-time presidential candidate, whose signature, catchy pickup lines could make her listeners roll in laughter.

Santiago’s funny jokes have not only endeared her to the public but they also gave birth to her award-winning, best-selling book titled “Stupid is Forever.” (It now has a best-selling sequel.)

Loosening up

The interior secretary admitted that even his wife, broadcaster Korina Sanchez-Roxas, disdained his delivery of pickup lines which, he said, he tried to use to express his affection for her.

“I actually tried to use these pickup lines on Korina. But she only hit me on the head when I told her these,” he quipped. “Fortunately, they had an effect on you.”

Two weeks after the President endorsed his presidential bid, Roxas has apparently begun to loosen up and changed his usual uptight persona.

More relaxed now

During his visit to Cebu City on Wednesday, he spent time with call center agents and asked them how the government could help them improve their working conditions.

A day later, he visited a public market in Valencia City, Bukidnon province, where he briefly revived “Mr. Palengke,” the character he used during his successful senatorial campaign in 2004.

“He looked relaxed. He seems to be smiling more these days,” said a mayor from Sultan Kudarat province, who asked not to be identified.

“I think this is the image that Mar Roxas needs to help him win the votes of the common people,” the mayor added.

‘Like a big brother’

Mayor Sandy Javier, of Javier town, Leyte province, thanked Roxas for empowering local government units by introducing institutional reforms in the Department of the Interior and Local Government, such as bottom-up budgeting, a grassroots-level participatory budgeting process.

“Secretary Roxas is like a big brother to us. He bestowed us trust and gave us an opportunity to improve ourselves as public servants,” Javier said.

In his speech, Roxas said in jest: “I thank you President Sandy… Buti pa si Sandy, presidente na. (Sandy is in good shape, at least he is already president)”