Prof. Danton Remoto

[CaMoTe!!!]

Joey Alarilla: Welcome to the Eleksyon2007 podcast. Our guest is Professor
Danton Remoto. Remoto teaches English at the Ateneo de Manila University and
is running for senator as an independent. Good evening, Danton.Danton
Remoto: Good evening, everybody. Joey Alarilla: Our first question will be
from INQUIRER.net reporter, Joel Guinto, who covers defense.

Joel Guinto: Good evening, sir.

Remoto: Good evening.

Joel Guinto: Why are you running for the Senate?

Danton Remoto: I'm supposed to run for party list, Ang Ladlad, but the
Comelec [Commission on Elections] has not yet given us accreditation. So
along with other, maybe other anti-GMA [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] party list
groups...so I decided to run for the Senate, so the LGBT [Lesbian, Gay,
Bi***ual, Transgender] advocacy won't be snowed under by all these noise in
the forthcoming elections. So it's like a pilot test to see the strength of
the lesbian, gay, bi***ual transgender group, and also the education sector
because I've been teaching for, what, 20 years.

Joel Guinto: Sir, what do you think are your qualifications to make it to
the Senate?

Danton Remoto: I've been teaching for 20 years, so my advocacy number one is
education. If you've been around the country, you will see how dismal the
public school system is because the children drop out of school when they
reach grade four. So what I plan to do is to have--They drop out because
they don't have money. They don't have money to buy food. So we can have a
nutrition program for them, a feeding program for the children in the
elementary school. And then more books, text books that--whose pages are not
bali-baliktad, no.

Because what we have here is a monopoly of publication of text books. So we
have to break that monopoly. I have a degree in publishing from Scotland,
and I worked in Ateneo for 15 years as a publisher, so we can go around that
system of monopoly.

Number three, we need more classrooms with roofs because the problem is,
many classrooms are built but there are no roofs, or they have no chairs.
They have no blackboard; everything is sub-standard- -not in everything, in
many cases. So we need an oversight committee to make sure that all the
classrooms have roofs or chalk. Number four, we need to upgrade our teacher
training because in the 1960's, our schools were the best in Asia. But now,
look at it now, they're really in a very bad state because of [the lack of]
teacher training. We need teacher training. And number five; we need more
scholarships for CHED--Commission on Higher Education to give more
scholarships to teachers in college so they can have MA degrees. That's
education. The other is [the] human rights anti-discrimination bill which
has been there in Congress and the Senate for nine years. So we're fighting
for equal rights, not special rights, and also aside from the LGBT, we have
so many laws for children. The weakest link in society are children, the
physically disabled, women and elderly. We have so many laws for these
people, but we need an oversight committee maybe an oversight committee of
what? Who can make sure that these laws are implemented? So, number one is
education, because I've been teaching. Many candidates say they're for the
education, but they don't know a lot about education. They just want to give
toothbrush[es] to poor children. I mean, you cannot give toothbrush[es] to
poor children; they don't have teeth, no? They are toothless. They have
dental caries. If you've been to the slums you will see how terrible the
situation is. And then many people are saying they're for human rights. But
what have you done for equal rights for everybody, no? Aside from paying lip
service to these. So we've been doing this for 20 years, so our
friends...just said it's a symbolic candidacy that, if we don't make it in
2007, there's 2010, no? Many of us are young--not many, some of us are young
candidates here, no? So in 2010, we can run again if we lose this year?

Joel Guinto: Sir, if elected, how will you define your term? How do you want
to be remembered?

Danton Remoto: I want to be remembered because I'm a child--my parents were
teachers. My grandparents were teachers in the public schools. My parents
were teachers; I want to be remembered as somebody who helped improve the
public school system in the Philippines, primarily.

Because if you've been to the poorest schools, it's so heart-breaking.
Children walk miles and miles, and they don't have money; they don't have
food. But they will go to school because they want to learn. So we can help
them buy giving them programs to feed them. Giving them books and good
teachers and classrooms with chalk and books.

Number two, the passage of the anti-discrimination bill for lesbians and
gays, bi***uals, transgendered. Just like in Makati now, many of our member
are--like one lesbian took an exam here. She passed. During the interview
she was seen as a butch-lesbian, short hair and big body. So she was asked
by the personnel here, are you a practicing lesbian? And she said, no, I'm
no longer practicing, I'm already good at it. So she wasn't hired, she's
from UP, she has an MA degree.

Another of our members from Ateneo, MA Sociology, [is] transgendered, and
she has female body parts. She took the exam, call center. She passed it.
And then she was told, we cannot hire you because you have breasts. So she
said, but my breast won't do the talking for me, di ba? So that's the
problem here, no? [laughs] We have discrimination.

One Catholic school in Manila would ask the parents to sign a masculinity
pink form that their son is not homo***ual, will never be, I mean how can
you tell that your son won't be gay, no? He falls in love maybe when he is
50. So, this situation is all of these things in the workplace, in schools,
they have to be changed like, this entertainer was kicked out of a bar. We
filed a case. We might win the case. Sabi sa kanya, we cannot accept your
money because of who you are. So what is the color of the gays' money. Is it
pink? So he was already eating, and he was asked to leave. In the provinces,
mas malala, no? Lesbians are sometimes--their fathers asked some men to rape
them to "cure" them of their lesbianism. These are all documented cases. We
have all these case in our group Ladlad. We have to change that because the
human rights components of the LGBT movement has to be improved, no? The
Bill of Rights says everybody's equal, but we are citizens also and
taxpayers, and we are 4.35 million voters--10 percent of 43.5 million.
That's a swing vote in a tightly contested election like this.

Joel Guinto: Sir, you mentioned about discrimination. What are your thoughts
on gays entering the military?

Danton Remoto: Ah, it's like this: In the Philippine National Police [PNP],
the revised police code of 1998 forbids discrimination in hiring and firing,
because what happened, Orly Mercado was the Secretary of National Defense,
his assistant was the member of our group. So he helped. He wrote the bill.
We gave it to Orly Mercado, and he gave it to President [Joseph] Estrada who
signed it, no?

I hope he read it. But anyway he signed it. So it's now a law. The military
is problematic because there's no laws of...Gays in the military. They've
been there. A group in the military base in Pampanga, Basa Air Base. Julius
Caesar...all this military...Alexande r, all these macho guys, no? 'Di ba?
Julius Caesar was every man's soldier and every man's wife. So this issue of
homo***uality is an old issue that has been there for centuries in the
military. Philippine military is not yet--the law is absent.

Joel Guinto: Thank you.

[CaMoTe!!!]

Maila Ager: Hi, sir. I'm Maila Ager. I am assigned to cover the House of
Representatives and the opposition ticket. So you are running against
[Manuel] Villar, [Loren] Legarda. so what do you think are your chances of
winning?

Danton Remoto: Oh, it's like a snowball's chance in hell. Hell of course
refers to Philippine politics. But we're running, well, because if you do
some number-crunching. 43.5 million voters in 2004. Ten percent must be LGBT.
That's 4.35 million. And I come from Bicol. Bicol is the only ethnic vote in
the whole country. None, no solid north, no Ilocano vote. And they're all
registered, by the way. I checked. Many of them. Among them--I've been
talking to them--they'll vote daw for Manoy Joker Arroyo, for Sonny
Trillanes, for Manoy Greg Honasan, for Manay Sonia and Chiz, and me. Anim
'yan. Para 'yang bibingka, no? They were divided into six pieces and that's
a solid vote, no? Two million Bicolanos in the Bicol region, 2.5 all over
the Philippines, and abroad. I'm not saying I'll get all of that, but we'll
get some of that. Like when I went to Bicol. My relatives are either NPAs
[New People's Army] or priests. I'm just being honest with you. If you're
from Albay, it's either NPAs or priests. I'm from Oas, Albay. So the priests
said, OK, we'll campaign for you but don't put the same *** marriage in your
[platform]. Of course it's not there. And then, they don't want reproductive
health, which is abortion for them. So I just put there women's health
because in politics you have to use all of these euphemisms to please
everybody.

And then the youth vote, which as we were saying earlier, not all the young
people registered, because they did not know. There may be too busy in
Starbucks drinking coffee. They did not register. So the youth vote is
there, but it's fragmented. So I really don't know my chances. Manny Villar
is the only one with money eh. I mean he is the only one here with money.
The rest are all struggling for--like I get a small amount like ten thousand
a week. People give me ten thousand, twelve thousand, which pays for
tarpaulin and streamers and photocopying and risograph, you know. They are
asking the Gokongweis to give us discounts in the plane fare. My students
who own hotels in the South are giving me discounts or free accommodations.
Somebody paid for my uniforms. Somebody bought me shoes, no. My yaya sold
their carabao, gave me twenty thousand [ laughs]. I don't want to accept her
money. I told her that's your money. She said, meron pa naman akong isang
kalabaw, [laughs]

I mean, you know...

Maila Ager: Given that meager resources, how do you run so far, your
campaign?

Danton Remoto: Because when they say a hundred million, seventy percent of
that is media driven, which means they have advertisements. But if you go
around, if you talk to the poor people, you know what they say? And ganda ng
ads, but do we really believe them? Because what's happening in 2007 is like
in 1986. The people have--something happened, maybe because of, maybe Mrs.
Arroyo. Something happened that the people are now more awake, more open.
Like I was in Ateneo Law School. The rich people have set up a democracy
fund that will train lawyers and other people to do poll watching. So
magbabantay raw talaga sila ng boto. It's run by Ateneo law school. They
will get law students, lawyers, volunteers all over the Philippines to run
this. So, maybe there'll be more clean elections this time. So the chances,
I do not know. We did some numbers crunching. We'll get-- I'll get at least
two million votes, solid. If I'm lucky, I'll get four. If I'm super lucky,
I'll get six. To win, you need eight. So if four million people vote for me
that's four million votes that were honest. That were not bought.

Maila Ager: But really, you think gays and lesbians are now accepted in the
Philippines?

Danton Remoto: In certain professions. Like people ask me--like [Philippine
Daily] Inquirer, you always ask me: Are there gay politicians? Only God
knows.[laughs] Maybe there are, but they do not want to come out. So it's
even difficult to get money from them. They don't answer our letters. We get
moneys from the beauty parlors, from the Chinese businessmen,
Filipino-Chinese, no? Discrimination is still there, but I think it's lesser
now in the last 20 years. There are now gays on televisions, newspapers and
magazines, on films, but portrayal has to be improved. Pero it has changed.

Maila Ager: Ok, thank you.

Danton Remoto: Thanks.

[CaMoTe!!!]

Lira Fernandez: Magandang gabi, ako si Lira Fernandez.

Danton Remoto: Magandang gabi, Lira.

Lira Fernandez: Nagcocover ako ng Malaca?.

Danton Remoto: Ah, OK

Lira Fernandez: Nabanggit mo kanina, wala duon sa parang platform mo 'yung
same *** marriage. Bakit?

Danton Remoto: Kasi ako ano eh. English teacher ako. Bawat ginagawa ko,
meron pa akong methods of research. Nag research muna kami, Nag survey kami,
focused group discussion. Matatalo kami pag pinilit namin 'yung domestic
partnership. Number one, hindi pa nga nakakapag-aral 'yung mga bata sa
Catholic schools, bakit na sila magpapakasal? Di pa sila nakakapag-aral.
Number two, hindi pa sila nakakapag-trabaho sa Makati, paano sila
magpapakasal, no? Tsaka number three, in the Philippines context, marriage
is always problematic. As my straight friends would put it, we are so busy
trying to leave our husbands and wife; why do you want to get married, no?
So, I think that is problematic. So we're not advocating same *** marriage
or domestic partnership in this campaign.

Lira Fernandez: But personally, you believe in that?

Danton Remoto: Oh, yes personally, I believe in that but you know what I
learned in this--what is this? New life, in this new life [laughs] is to
weigh all things and sometimes to let your person--it's like to. that's why,
I keep on watching the movie "Elizabeth," no? 'Yung si Cate Blanchett, no. I
keep on watching that movie because I identify with that woman. 'Yung
sometimes you're feelings you have to bury them because this is what--not
the party--but many of the people in your country would want. We will lose
if we--and if we campaign for a same *** marriage or domestic partnership,
that will divide the country further, no? That's why we filed last
September, the CBCP [Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines] said
they like the human rights aspects of our campaign because there's no same
*** marriage provision. It's not politically astute for us to campaign for
that, at this point.

Lira Fernandez: As far as you know, are you the first gay running for the
Senate?

Danton Remoto: Ah, the one who is out, yes. [laughs]. Di ba si Loren,
bading? Our friend... [laughs]

Lira Fernandez: In case you win and you get to the session hall, sino 'yung
gusto mo katabi? And how will you initiate a conversation?

Danton Remoto: Ah, teka muna. Sino ba mga nanalo d'yan? [laughs]. I don't
know.

Lira Fernandez: Ping Lacson is there.

Danton Remoto: The one I've talked to. Well, the ones who are fighting for
the anti-discrimination bill are Jinggoy and Bong, no? We talked, actually I
have a session--we have a meeting with them next week. I will tell Jinggoy
and Bong, hey you guys, you get your act together because I'm here. Tatlo na
tayo. We'll push for the bill, no?

So, Bong is committed to fighting for the bill, and Jinggoy also. But
Jinggoy is so busy with so many things, so I want to talk to those two
gentlemen, and help me push that anti-discrimination bill. Kasi, they've
been helping us in the past year and a half.

Fernandez: How about if it's Ping Lacson?

Danton Remoto: Well, Ping Lacson's sons were our students. I really don't
know him personally. I'll just tell him--what will I tell him? Good morning!
[laughs]

Lira Fernandez: You've talked of a solid Bicol vote. Do you really believe
there's a gay vote?

Danton Remoto: It's like this. There were informal surveys in last year
about the party list, and these surveys are informal, no? I cannot quote
them because they are informal, but we were surprised by the results; like
we're very strong in the urban areas, Central Luzon, National Capital
Region, Southern Luzon, Central Visayas, Southern Mindanao. We were not
known in the rural areas. But in the urban centers, where there are
colleges, universities, and where there--kasi young people, they come out in
the urban areas, where they study.

We're strong, plus Baguio, we're strong in these urban areas. So when the
survey was done--we don't have money, we don't have a lot money--but we were
surprised by the strength of the party-list group, no?

Surveys have shown we're good for like, between 1.2 to 1.8 million votes,
without even campaigning. That was last year.

And I think there's a pink peso and a pink vote now, because even the
marketing campaigns this year, one niche market is the pink peso, no.
Because after the gays have paid for their rent, given money to their
parents, they will buy clothes; they will buy books; they will go to
parties. So, there's a source of disposable income. And some of them are
helping us in non-monetary terms.

So I think there is now a gay vote. You know in the Internet, I get all
these letters from gays in Saudi Arabia, gays in US, Canada, sending hundred
dollars. 'Yung sa Saudi, I cannot forget, that's why. This guy was like
working in the heat of the desert. [He said] in Tagalog: Mr. Remoto, itong
ipapadala kong hundred dollars na inipon ko. Parang, I don't want to accept
that [but I] had to, you know. People like that. 'Yung, that's hard earned
money from this poor fellow, and I told him, no you keep it na. Kahit maliit
'yan. Sabagay limang tarpaulin din 'yan, sabi ko sa kanya, no?

So, I mean, that's why you know.I don't really want this, to be honest with
you. But when people do this. Like, they sell their carabaos or they send me
money for their families, parang.maybe, we have to run, just to pilot test
the strength of this group.

Lira Fernandez: Thank you.

Danton Remoto: Thank you

[CaMoTe!!!]

More on Prof. Danton Remoto; more of this candidate at
http://www.inquirer.net/eleksyon2007...20070306-53233

[squala]

We shouldn't judge candidates for their ***uality, but if they're going to promote their masculine/feminine crookedness when they're in power, forget it. Gays and lesbians are sick in the head; I believe there's a defective brain tissue in them that can be adjusted to straighten their ***ual orientation. If Danton's advocacy is geared towards curing people like him, then maybe his intellect is worth sending to the senate.

[bbt]

^ i sense a bigot in our midst

[bbt]

first off, i'm not homo***ual.

secondly...

Gays and lesbians are sick in the head; I believe there's a defective brain tissue in them that can be adjusted to straighten their ***ual orientation. If Danton's advocacy is geared towards curing people like him, then maybe his intellect is worth sending to the senate.

...there is nothing about "the homo***ual act" in your post. instead, what i see is "people like them," "sick in the head," "defective," and the need to "straighten" them out. so it seems like you have just contradicted yourself.

and lastly, maybe if you read the posts you would have noticed him mentioning that he is NOT advocating same *** marriage.

[GasJunkie]

^^^^^^^


this :drool:




:fly:


edit bbt = +++++++++

edit2 posting in an epic thread

[bad driver]

Squala,

let me guess, are you a fundamentalist christian?

I'm not gay but you give me the creeps.



www.religioustolerance.org.