Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla said Tuesday he lives a "corny life" of routines that starts before sunrise. That's not counting the 4 a.m. slot in his itinerary, which he devotes to writing on social media and answering comments, with some wisecracks and hard truths going viral.
The 53-year-old is a rare politician who engages with 1.7 million followers as "Gov. Pogi". He governs Metro Manila's biggest suburb but whose views on anything from vaccine equity to political mudslinging resonate with a much larger audience.
Remulla first caught the public's attention for his "Walang Pasok" posts, which he occasionally peppers with advice for students to skip an early morning shower and for parents to withhold the day's allowance.
"I think a leader must have an authentic social media persona. I don't think they should get people to write things for them or to create content for them. People can tell if you're fake or not," he told Summit Media reporters in an interview. "99% of the content is mine and I take responsibility for it."
Last August, he fired off several tweets on how the national government lacked sense or urgency to address the shortage of vaccines in Cavite. As highly contagious coronavirus variants like Delta emerge, the world is pinning its hopes on swift vaccinations to cap deadly surges.
READ: 'Extreme Bureaucracy' Slowing Vaccine Purchases, Says Cavite Gov. Remulla
Remulla also preached about the "ugly" side of politics, as top government officials engaged in mudslinging and name-calling as if there was no health crisis.
Most recently, Remulla defended Mayor Isko Moreno from critics who judged his sexy star past, saying the Manila mayor did that during his youth, not while in office.
ALSO READ: Judging Mayor Isko for Sexy Star Past is Wrong, Gov. Remulla Says
Remulla reminded fellow politicians to focus instead on pandemic response as people on the ground are looking for leadership.
"I think cheap talk is unnecessary. I think it doesn't benefit anyone, I think when you hear the president and the senators jab at each other over petty things does not help the country or doesn't help the cause."
Remulla believes President Rodrigo Duterte still has time to solve the pandemic. The country needs firm leadership, he said.
"I think the eight months that he has left is enough to solve all this if he does it right," he said.
Reportr is now on Quento. Download the app or visit the Quento website for more articles and videos from Reportr and your favorite websites.
