Mother Lily And Sen. Richard Gordon Are Partners In Serving The Red Cross

MOTHER LILY MONTEVERDE hosted dinner for Sen. Richard Gordon. “We have something in common,” she says. “We both serve at the Philippine National Red Cross so I personally know how dedicated he is to public service. I call him my partner and I saw him working so hard in helping victims of disasters and calamities during relief operations from earthquakes to volcanic eruption like Pinatubo, to floods, landslides and mudslides in Leyte and Aurora, hands on talaga siya as a public servant.”

Sen. Gordon recalled when he first met Mother Lily. “This was in the 80s. Our family owns four cinemas in Olongapo and the films of Regal are out top moneymakers. That’s how I met Mother Lily and her husband Remy. Kaya mahal ko rin ang movie industry and our friendship goes a long way.”

How come he doesn’t lead in the surveys? “I don’t believe in them. Dinemanda ko nga ang mga yan. Kinokondisyon nila ang mga isip ng tao para sumunod na lang sa kung sino ang sinasabi nilang mga nangunguna. The elections now are only for the rich. A half-minute TV commercial costs P500,000. Sino naman ang makaka-afford niyan kundi yung mayayaman lang? Hinahamon ko namang mga makipag-debate, ayaw, natatakot mabisto ng tao na wala silang alam.”

Has any of his children followed in his footsteps? “I have four kids and I’ve not encouraged or discouraged them to join me. Marnie, the eldest is a lawyer and now based in the U.S. Yung sumunod, Amanda, is a housewife, and the third, James, is a businessman. Isa lang ang nagpolitika. Yung bunso, si Brian. He ran for councilor before and won. He’s now running as vice mayor. But he’s definitely on his own. I told him na wag umasa sa’min as he should win the trust of the voters on his own.”