Ogie Alcasid firmly says ‘no’ to running for public office

OGIE jests that trying for another baby can be hard for him and wife Regine “at our age— 24.” Photo by Geo Yusooncho

Ogie Alcasid sings, acts, hosts and heads a music organization. But there’s one field that the TV5 talent wouldn’t dare enter: politics.

“No, please! I really don’t want to,” Ogie said when asked by show-biz reporters if he had ever considered running for public office. “It’s a tough field, and it becomes clearer everyday that being a politician is a vocation.”

Not enough

Ogie stressed that venturing into politics shouldn’t be an afterthought. “It should be something you’re passionate about, from the start,” he said. “Good intentions are not enough.

“You should have the experience too,” pointed out Ogie, president of the Organisasyon ng mga Pilipinong Mang-Aawit.

The 46-year-old artist would rather focus on his show-biz career. After the three-month run of his comedy series, “Confessions of a Torpe,” Ogie was asked to take over Aga Muhlach’s hosting duties in the game show, “Let’s Ask Pilipinas.”

“I had a meeting with the management,” Ogie related. “I’m just a soldier, so I said, ‘Let’s do it.”

Aga, who transferred to TV5 from ABS-CBN in 2011, didn’t renew his contract with the Kapatid network, said his manager Ethel Ramos.

Asked if he had qualms about being a mere “replacement,” Ogie said, “Work is work. I always see it as a blessing.”

“Let’s Ask Pilipinas” — the local version of the popular game show “Let’s Ask America” — pits four contestants in a trivia quiz via video conference. The program’s first episode featuring Ogie airs on July 7 at 11:15 a.m.

Aside from hosting “Let’s Ask” and being part of the gag show “Tropa Mo Ko Unli,” Ogie worked on a drama series, “The Gift,” which was directed by Mike Tuviera. The show was supposed to premiere last October 2013, but was postponed.

Heavy stuff

So what happened to the series? “Ayun, na-gift wrap!” Ogie cracked. “We had worked on that for about three weeks. It’s heavy drama; super acting pa naman ako doon.” He surmised that “The Gift” was shelved because management wanted to focus on comedies, or lighter shows.

The good news is, “Confessions” may have a second book, he said.

Bali break

Meanwhile, Ogie related that his wife Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, their son Nate, and his parents will be in Bali, Indonesia, until July 6. Asked if he and his wife would be trying for a new baby during their vacation, he jested, “Puro balak pero walang nangyayari! But no, it’s going to be hard at our age…we just turned 24!”

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