Luis Manzano: Neither gov’t- nor altar-bound

LUIS Manzano with the love of his life Angel Locsin

As expected, there is incessant buzzing about the future plans of TV host Luis Manzano—namely, his supposed wedding with girlfriend Angel Locsin and his delayed foray into politics.

At Luis’ recent launch as endorser of clothing brand Dockers, the persistent question on everyone’s mind concerned a possible change in marital status. He was quick to deny the marriage rumors—made louder by his coming holiday in Las Vegas, city of instant weddings, with Angel.

“No we are not getting married in Vegas,” Luis told the Inquirer. “Let me be the first to quash that gossip.”

He did say that they are talking about settling down. “It’s coming. We don’t feel pressured because, in the end, it’s our decision.”

Luis explained that he and Angel are too busy with their respective careers to get hitched anytime soon. “We each have our own priorities,” he clarified. “I am set to do four to five shows next year and, for now, Angel’s main concern is to take care of her health.”

The actress recently went public with her ailment, a “slipped disc.”

“She is considering undergoing an operation,” he said. “I’d rather not go into details, but what I can say is that she has studied the options and has decided on one or two procedures.”

But before that impending surgery, they are going on a pre-Christmas vacation. “We are leaving on Dec. 9 for Vegas, to watch a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) match,” he related. “Then, we will meet up with my dad (Edu Manzano) and siblings in Miami before heading to Cuba. We wanted to do something different this year.”

Preparing for Christmas

Upon their return on Dec. 22, the couple will prepare for their respective families’ Christmas celebrations. “Noche buena is usually spent with our families,” he said. “But on the 25th, we will be together.”

Another scuttlebutt that went pfft was his purported bid as mayor of Lipa City or governor of Batangas—posts previously and presently held by his mom, Vilma Santos.

Luis asserted that politics is not on top of his to-do list for now. “As I said, I will be hosting several shows next year,” he reiterated. “I cannot join government and pursue show biz at the same time. It will be unfair to the people if I will not give it 100 percent.”

He is set to host “Pilipinas Got Talent,” “The Voice Kids” and “Celebrity Playtime.” “There are other projects in the works, mostly on television. I am not doing movies… except for ‘A Third Chance’ with John Lloyd Cruz,” he said in jest.

Since Luis isn’t running for public office, that leaves plenty of time for him to campaign for his mom, who is gunning for a seat in the Lower House, and his dad and stepdad (Ralph Recto), who are eyeing the Senate.

“It depends on my schedule. I have previous commitments, but if they tell me in advance about their big rallies, I will definitely be there,” he said. “In my own small way, I show my support by posting about them in social media and talking about them in my interviews.”

Luis admitted that he has yet to make up his mind about next year’s election. “I only have seven names on my list of senators. I still have to choose my bets for President and Vice President. I want to hear the platforms of all the candidates first.”

He has simple criteria for prospective leaders: “I want someone with integrity. Capability is a close second, though. In the past, we had leaders who were brilliant, but they were corrupt. I believe it all starts with honesty—and everything else follows!”

In fashion, romance and politics, as in life in general, he can be pretty laid-back. “I go for simplicity,” he said.

Even when it comes to his social media posts, he can be straightforward. In the past, people mistakenly thought his Twitter account was hacked, because he engaged a basher in a colorful tweeting tussle. Recently, a controversy erupted in his Instagram account because he purportedly alluded to suicide in a post.

“None of my posts implied suicide,” he said. “Someone wanted to be a smarta** and reported me. For me, suicide is no joke, and I am sure Instagram takes these things seriously, as well.”

Although he would not back down from a fight, the straight-talking TV host knows his limits. “If people approach me in a nice way… if they make me realize that I did something wrong in a respectful manner, I would apologize right away. But if they are just there to bash or insult me, I will not tolerate anyone’s bullsh**!”