And Derek’s vote goes to…

WHEN he wakes up in the morning and looks at himself in the mirror, hunk Derek Ramsay can’t help getting startled at times.

“I often do a double take,” he told the Inquirer.

Clearly, Derek, whose close-cropped do has become his trademark, has yet to get used to his longer, thicker tresses. “It takes longer to fix. I don’t use hair products, though. After combing it, I wear a cap to flatten it.”

He grew his hair long for his new movie role as a congressman-turned-senatorial aspirant in Quark Henares’ romantic-comedy, “My Candidate,” which opens in theaters on May 11, two days after the polls.

“No one told me to do so,” he recounted. “I just thought it would fit my character.”

To prepare for the part, he talked to some friends who are in politics and read up on current events. “It helps that it’s election season, so I only have to read the newspapers every day to get fresh insights,” he related. “I also watched the presidential and vice-presidential debates on TV.”

The debates were an eye-opener for him. “Watching them made me realize that some candidates love to dwell on their rivals’ faults and weaknesses,” he explained.

He regretted that talk of platforms and priority projects was lost in all the mud-slinging. “Instead of attacking each other, they should discuss who they are and what they stand for,” he pointed out. “They keep repeating the same things.”

He trusts that Filipino voters “are intelligent enough to discern the important issues,” adding, “We know the real score.”

A dual citizen, the Filipino-British actor plans to exercise his right of suffrage on May 9. “I’d rather not divulge who I will vote for—that’s between me and my conscience,” he remarked.

He dished out a mouthful, however, when asked about the traits of his chosen “candidate.”

“The country needs someone who is willing to make sacrifices for our people,” he quipped. “We need someone who will inspire us to come together and help the country.”

Needless to say, someone who is incorruptible is on top of his list. But then again, corruption, he conceded, cuts across all levels of society.

DEREK Ramsay

“We’re all part of this corrupt system,” he clarified. “Every time we bribe a traffic enforcer to get away from a ticket, we are allowing corruption to get worse.”

He believes, however, that “extreme measures” will not solve the country’s woes. “We have to do it slowly. We have to be united.”

Believe it or not, he imbibed his fierce love for the Philippines from his British father, Arnold Ramsay.

“My dad is a Filipino by heart,” the TV5 talent asserted. “He’s been here for 36 years—almost as long as his stay in the United Kingdom. He often says that the Philippines is his home…that he will die here.”

His dad’s devotion to the country remains undiminished, Derek insisted, “in spite of all the stressful things here.”

There are so many things to adore and abhor about the Philippines, he owned up. “It’s a unique place. We have many problems…corruption, calamities, poverty, but we are a happy, loving people. That’s why my dad loves it here.”