And Why is Ronnie Puno Now Clad in Yellow

August 8, 2009

MANILA -- Could the man wearing the late Corazon Aquino's battle color make as much history?

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, a known vice presidential aspirant, has of late been photographed and seen in public donning the bright hue of the 1986 People Power Revolution, lately a symbol of grief over the demise of the beloved former president.

But Puno's color of choice was neither a sign of commemoration nor mourning. It was simply a matter of aesthetics.

“My advisers told me it fits my skin tone,” said the fair-skinned Puno, clad in a mustard yellow shirt during an interview Friday night.

From provincial visits and official functions to socials and press conferences, Puno has been seen in shades of yellow, whether wearing his airy polo barong or collared shirts.

Apparently, the top campaign strategist, who was behind former president Fidel Ramos' “working man” image for the 1992 election, got some image advice himself.

“My favorite color actually for shirts is green. But when I started having pictures taken in green, the photographer was saying it doesn't fit me well so he said you should go into other colors. And this is what they chose,” said Puno.

Puno, who has served all Presidents from deposed strongman Ferdinand Marcos except for Aquino, however, said he was a “great admirer” of the late president, and said the outpouring love seen during her wake and funeral “strengthens our democracy.” 
“I think what that showed is that people go beyond partisanship when we find occasions to remember the contributions to our democracy of great leaders,” said Puno, who said he attended one of the Masses for Aquino who succumbed to cancer on August 1.

“And I think we are all unanimous -- administration, opposition, and whatever color you belong to -- in gratitude for the service she had done,” he said.

Puno could be seen wearing the Cory color in appearances in at least two versions of television advertisements released recently, both of which he said were aimed at spreading public awareness about programs of the Philippine National Police.

While it went on air months before the 2010 elections, Puno said the ads were not political, just an information campaign that “deals with specific things I believe people are not aware of,” among them special PNP desks for women's complaints and the continuing recruitment by the PNP.

“These are information ads regarding different accomplishments of the department and this was the idea of some people here, and they are the ones who actually even placed the ads,” Puno told reporters on the sidelines of a get-together with his friends and family that closed the posh Paparazzi bar and restaurant at the Edsa Shangri-La hotel for the night.

“They have nothing to do with department funds; zero from the department. So it's really, I suppose, their way of helping me in trying to proovide more information to the public,” Puno said.

Asked if the same circle of friends may well be helping him during the campaign, he said: “If and when the candidacy for the vice presidency begins, I would hope that they would be with me and continue to be friends forever.”

Seen in the gathering were top businessmen from real estate, the steel industry, merchandise and the business chambers, members of Congress and local government officials. Puno's family, including five of his seven US-based children, were also in attendance and rendered some musical numbers for the guests.

“We really are not gonna be talking politics here. I haven't seen a lot of the people here for quite some time. I'm happy that they're around to experience friendship at this time,” said Puno.