So: Coco!
I WOULDN'T have been interested in Coco Martin had it not been for his close brush with Sun.Star Cebu chief photographer Alex Badayos at the proclamation rally of the Liberal Party in Lagtang, Talisay the other day.
Just so you know, Coco Martin is an indie film actor and has starred in movies with gay themes. He has been cast in leading roles in some of ABS-CBN’s primetime soaps.
Why Coco Martin was at the LP proclamation rally was a mystery to the Cebu journalists who covered it. He didn’t seem to be endorsing provincial standard-bearers Junjun Davide and Greg Sanchez. The young actor was holding a microphone and was on the heels of a cameraman.
While waiting for the candidates to arrive and go up the stage, Alex took a seat beside someone. To his surprise, girls began screaming and looking at his direction. Alex is confident that he is not short on looks and charm but humbly knows that he is not Piolo Pascual material. It didn’t register with him why they were screaming at him.
They were not. They were screaming at Coco Martin, the guy seated beside Alex who was oblivious of the actor’s presence despite his good looks. To Alex, the guy beside him was a total stranger. The girls were screaming “Coco Martin! Coco Martin!”
Alex looked hard at his seatmate but didn’t recognize him. Alex was stumped. Who is Coco Martin? Is he an artista? A singer? A boy band member? A political candidate? A hairdresser?
Then Alex remembered that Coco Martin had come up the stage with his face covered like a ninja in 34-degree weather. That was the only way the young actor could move around without being mobbed by screaming fans.
I asked Alex how he could have missed Coco Martin, the object of desire of my gay friends. Duh, Alex replied, dismissing my question. How tall is Coco Martin? About this, Alex said, slicing his earlobe with a palm. Alex was seated when he said this.
When the candidates arrived, the crowd began chanting “Noynoy! Noynoy!” The presidential candidate came with Davide and Sanchez and his senatorial slate. A tiny section of the huge crowd, the one that had a good view of Coco Martin, was calling out, “Coco! Coco!”
I have to put a disclaimer. I wasn’t there at the rally but I got this account from Sun.Star Cebu photographer Ruel Rosillo who also covered the rally. To this small section of the crowd at the LP rally in Talisay, Coco held their interest far longer than Noynoy or Greg Sanchez did. Coco didn’t even have to say anything.
In big rallies where candidates bore everyone to coma with their long speeches, a sight like Coco Martin provides the crowd with a break. I told Alex that he and Coco Martin are in the same league. Both are models, Coco Martin for jeans and Alex for a shirt campaign. Too bad the two of them didn’t get to know each other.