They come from a brood of four. Their eldest is their Ate Pia, also a senator, then comes Allan, their brother who’s now a businessman and Lino is the youngest. Allan is 42 and Lino is 35. Allan is happily married to Mayor Lani of Taguig. How come Lino remains single? Because of this, some folks say he’s gay.
“Care ko,” he says laughing. “Basta secure ako sa sexual preference ko. But naging mataas talaga ang standards ko because of the example set by my brother and his wife. Kahit gaano sila ka-busy at nasa ibang lugar dahil sa kampanya, they find a way para lagi pa rin silang magkatabi matulog every night.”
What’s the quality they like the most and like the least in each other? “My brother is the most compassionate I know, very caring and generous, isa sa pinakamabait na taong nakilala ko,” says Direk Lino. “His gift is to explain things. Kaya lang, kung minsan, kahit naiintindihan ko na, ang kulit niya, explain pa rin siya ng explain.”
“He’s a very loving person,” says Sen. Allan about Direk Lino. “When our dad (the late Sen. Renato Cayetano) had cancer, he gave half of his liver to our dad. Sa recovery room, he asked me to film him with all the tubes on him. The nurse said I was so mean, so I had to explain that he’s a filmmaker and he wants me to do it as he is very passionate about filmmaking. What I don’t like in him is that nag-yes na ko, sinabi ko nang okay, pero nangungulit pa rin siya so I tell him, when I say no, doon ka na magpatuloy mangumbinsi. But I feel so safe dahil sila ang magkasama ngayon ng wife while they’re both campaigning in Taguig at ako naman, nasa mga probinsiya.”
