Gilbert Remulla's Final Punch

Rep. Gilbert Remulla is not about to give up the fight – both in and out of Congress
By Cristine Antonette B. Catu

He could well be preparing for a boxing match: his gloved fists throwing punches as he circles the entire ring. And if that wasn’t enough, he proceeds to the speed bag for another 15 minutes before squaring it off against the heavy punching bag near the left side of the ring. He finishes the workout with abdominal exercises before cooling down. No, it’s not Manny Pacquiao wannabe, but a familiar face nonetheless. One is just not used to see him this way.

It’s 10 am on a Monday in Gold’s Gym Glorietta 3 and Rep. Gilbert Remulla is venting out his ‘frustrations’ at the gym’s Ringside Boxing Club. “I realized it’s the best stress-buster. And it works, because after boxing, I’m calmer. Of course, binibiro ako ng mga kasama ko rito, ‘May pinaghahandaan ka ba sa Kongreso?’ Well, it may be true!” he laughs.

The gentleman from the second district of Cavite has a lot to be frustrated about. A former broadcaster himself, Remulla admits that his former job did not prepare him much for his new role now.

“When you’re in media, you only get an understanding of how [politics] works. It’s news for all its purposes. But if you’re in politics, you will know how it really works. The more you know about how the system works, the more difficult to know what it takes to change it,” he relates.

“The reason why I’m sticking with what I’m doing in the opposition is because we have to start somewhere. Changes need to be made. Even though we’re not given the perks of being allied with Malacañang, it’s okay,” he adds.

It is reward enough, he says, when strangers come up to him to congratulate him for the fight he is carrying.

As with Remulla’s education, it is important to note that having come from La Salle before entering Ateneo and having gone immediately after to the country's state university, UP-Diliman, what really differentiated the Ateneo is the school spirit that was imbibed in the Congressman.

“Among the 3 schools I attended in the country, it is the Ateneo pride that is most pronounced,” he confesses.

In 1984, Remulla entered the Ateneo de Manila High School. Rolling up from the arch-rival La Salle, his first day of school in June [1984] will always be memorable. With a thump in his ears of heartbeat, he felt being a stranger in a strange land.

In the dance of feeling, their high school parties and soirees were relentlessly fun, if not educational. “The various kalokohan of typical of high school students - too many to mention - are always brought up and laughed about during our class reunions,” disclosed Remulla.

By the same token, the Blue Eagle also considers being part of the Prada Basketball team during his 3rd and 4th year, one of the highest points of his stay in Ateneo.

” I was in section G all throughout my stay at the Ateneo High School. The friendships that I developed in my alma mater are still very active today - my immediate set of friends from section G - Paulo Garcia, Butch San Agustin, Luigi Nunez, and BJ Afable, David Ong, RJ Reyes, Atty. Noel del Prado. The wonders of e-mail and our class e-group [administered by Bobby Villaroman] makes all of my classmates just an email away,” he shares.

Having spent these years of self discovery between childhood and manhood at Loyola Heights shaped the Jesuit-educated liberal mindset he has today.

“A very difficult value to practice - though always attempted and at times successful - is the value of selflessness. Being a "man for others" that the Ateneo strives to make its students can be very trying in these times of political crisis, especially for a politician. Thinking of the country as a whole, and not just one's self, is what is needed in out country in order to get ourselves out of the economic and political rut we are in and to salvage our state of moral bankruptcy,” the Atenean politician later tells Blue Blood.

In the vicissitudes of life, Ateneo taught him the universal values of integrity and hard work. His learning experiences as a member of the varsity team, a class officer and a plain student in such a formative part of his life necessitated the need to work hard and realize that there are certainly no short cuts in life.

After college, Gilbert went on to become a reporter for ABS-CBN and that stint lasted for 7 years. “I felt that I can do something more. I got tired of the routine of waking up at 5 am for a show, going out to the field, then back to the office to write my story and going home at 9 pm every day. I had no life,” he admits. “I wanted to do something else and I just felt that I have reached my potential in media, so I looked for another outlet.”

Politics is not new to Remulla as his father was former governor of Cavite himself.

He need not look far. After receiving his father’s blessing, he ran for Congress in 2001. He is currently in his second term as representative.

“Congress can be comfortable—you have breakfast meetings, lunch meetings, and fiestas to attend. You’ve gained 20 pounds without knowing it,” Remulla confesses.

He started working out at Gold’s Gym in November 2003 and makes it a point to work out at least six times a week. At first Gilbert was just running on the treadmill and lifting weights like everyone else, but when Gold’s started to offer boxing classes, he decided to try it out—and he enjoyed it.

“Of course, I’m too old to spar. What’s important is that I get to exercise. It’s a good cardiovascular and core workout. I would recommend it to everyone,” he explains.

Working out, he says, makes him feel good. “It helps me sleep better at night. It helps me think better,” he says.

When he’s not battling it out in Congress or at the gym, Remulla spends his time with his wife Georgia, a pediatric dentist, and their two daughters. He admits to being a gadget geek (“I just got a digital SLR camera!” he says excitedly), aside from being a music aficionado. He plays the guitar and the piano.

“Of course, being a politician you have to know how to sing, bad as it may sound. It’s one of those things people look to see if you can do. Filipinos are very musical people, so when they see that you can sing and or dance, may affinity na kaagad, says Remulla, but is quick to add, “I don’t dance though.”

His constituents need not cover their ears though, as Remulla has had good training in his younger years, joining workshops at Repertory Philippines and was into theater in his grade school and high school years.

Remulla is also very much into sports, particularly basketball. In fact, he had injured his left knee recently while playing ball with friends.

“I try to be competitive in whatever I do. I’m not happy just running up and down the court. I have to man the post, I have to defend. Kaya nagkaganito [ang] tuhod ko,” he shares.

Injured knee or not, it is the same competitive spirit that keeps him and his colleagues in the thick of the fight.

“Being in Congress, you have to talk about priorities of government and policies that are needed to move this country forward. Unfortunately now, we are not discussing policies. We are talking about a general policy of right and wrong. That’s where we’re stuck at right now, unfortunately,” says Remulla.

“I don’t think it would be forgivable for us to go with just moving on. It’s wrong and I don’t want to show my two kids that it’s okay to lie, cheat and steal. It cuts across the whole society whether you’re from the upper, middle or lower class. It’s a universal truth that you have to fight for what is right, and fight against what is wrong. There’s always hope, there’s always a silver lining. It may not be now, but it should come around 2010,”