Kris & the changing times

Author: Norma Japitana
Column: Then & Now

THEN: Flashback on The New Media Superstar: Written for a magazine cover story March 30, 1986.

The house on Times Street was practically empty; it was the evening of Feb. 4, 1986, the miting de avance of Cory-Doy ticket at the Luneta. We were there to wait for Kris Aquino for a taped interview for See-True. At that time, I helped arrange the interview through the office of Ballsy Aquino-Cruz in the spirit of equal time. Inday Badiday told me that she would also be interviewing Imee Marcos-Manotoc.

As we sat waiting in front of the house, the maids brought us fruit juice and ensaymada. The gays in the group started flirting with the security guards.

"Baka 'pag nasa Malacañang na kayo hindi na kayo ganito kabait. "

Drivers passing the house on Times Street felt obliged to honk their horns in that familiar way and make the Laban sign, not minding really whether someone is looking or not.

Kris Aquino arrived with her mother and her entourage in a cream-colored van. She apologized for making us wait and asked breathlessly if she could change her shirt. She wore an Aquino yellow shirt.

"I'm sure you don't want me to wear this," and she hied off to her room for a quick change.

"I was the only one who wanted my mother to run in this election. Perhaps it is because I was very young when my father was in politics. So I like to try. But now with all these intrigues and what people are saying, ayaw ko na. No, I don't like to be in politics myself. "

When Kris was asked what her role would be if her mother won, she said:

"I will just be her daughter. I don't think I will have a specific role. It is my mother's policy that not one of us in her family will be involved in the government. "

The atmosphere then was showbiz, what with the giggly presence of Inday's entourage at the sala. Cory looked drawn that night; she was obviously tired from the week's rigorous campaign. But she gamely stayed in the sala talking with Tony Gonzales, Lupita Kashiwahara and some of Cory's Crusaders who stayed on. I managed to give her two news clippings a friend sent me from Paris that day. They were about Cory and her campaign.

Would Kris enter showbiz?

"Perhaps just one movie. That's all my mom will allow me. There were talks before with Regal but nothing came of it. No, not with Viva. Perhaps with Uncle Tony's Malaya Films," and she smiled at Tony Gonzales who was standing near the kitchen door.

Yes, she said, she likes Richard Gomez among the young stars and not Aga Muhlach, Although she is grateful to him for being at the miting de avance. She also likes Sharon Cuneta, in spite of her being with KBL; what she said drew some reactions from the kibitzers. The questions came rapid fire on different subjects. She answered them in the most natural way, giving us an inkling of how her mind works.

Did she eat galunggong?

"Galunggong?"

That's a kind of fish, someone commented.

"Kumakain ba ako niyan?" she asked one of the household help listening to the interview. The girl shook her head. It seemed she had never eaten the fish.

Galunggong came up in the interview because the price of this lowly fish was brought up as political issue by the Unido-Laban team in their campaign. The price has gone up five times during the Marcos years.

The taped interview was shown February 8 and Kris stole the show. That was the time showbiz intrigues were pushed in the background as the refreshing personality talked about issues of that time.

During the interview, Kris was 14 going on 15. She was to be 15 on Valentine's Day 1986.

She was asked how she would celebrate it.

"Kung manalo siguro may celebration. Pag hindi baka simple lang.

And of course it came to pass that after her massive cheating in the February 7 election, the people's revolution ensued. Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and General Fidel V. Ramos became the heroes of the Armed Forces of the Philippines of the People and Mrs. Corazon Aquino was installed as the people's President.

When Kris came to Channel 7 for the live interview on See-True, she was already the President's daughter. It was March 1, and People Power was in everybody's mind. Kris was hot property even without the vestige of political power, but it could not be denied that as the First Daughter she became more so.

Kris came with cousin Rina Teopaco and four military aides. She was now a sophisticated 15-year-old, with her hair done by Biba in the latest style, with a tint of purple sprayed on top.

"It is nice to be able to appear on television like this," she said smiling.

In that simple statement she reminded her listeners how TV was controlled in the past; and how the opposition was hardly given the time of day in any of the programs.

Members of the movie press elbowed one another for a place on the panel, so the staff of the show decided to get some stars on the panel instead. Those who campaigned for KBL were nervous about asking Kris questions.

"But that's all over now. My mom stressed reconciliation and we are all for that," she said.

Kris mentioned that she would like to do a dramatic movie with perhaps Lino Brocka as her director. And after that she would like to go into fashion design.

During this March 1 interview it was her talk with Senator Ted Kennedy, which she related, that gave people an insight into the mother-daughter relationship between Kris and the President.