Body Talk with Midas Marquez

He squirms at being called The New Crush ng Bayan, owing to the cool image that he projects on national television even if he’s announcing a controversial decision of the Supreme Court of which he’s the spokesperson.

We see him all the time on TV but we don’t really know much about Jose Midas Marquez. We were amused (and started speculating about his gender) when he seemed to have lost his poise when he accidentally pushed a microphone during a recent press conference, an incident that hardly unnerved him and which he dismissed with a laugh, saying that he knew himself and that’s what really mattered.

At 45 (an Aquarian, born in February), Midas is happily married to former banker Liezl Sarmiento with whom he has two children, Galo and Maia, both in high school. The middle of five children, he was named after mythical King Midas (who turns everything he touches into gold) because he said his father’s business flourished when Midas was born.

He finished Law at Ateneo.

Asked if he was among the Top Ten, Midas joked, “I was No. 11. You know how it is. After the Top Ten, the rest wanted to be No. 11, so we were all No. 11.”

When he was contacted for this “body talk,” Midas was reluctant. “Isn’t it only for celebrities?” Assured that he’s a celebrity in his own right, he agreed but politely turned down a request for him to be photographed working out in the gym. Instead, he chose pictures of him in basketball shorts to accompany this story.

Midas stands 5’9”; weighs 175 lbs.; and wears large-size shirt, large-size briefs and size-10 shoes.

You might be wondering if Midas, like most judges, also get death threats.

“I did but that was before pa. I didn’t take them seriously because they were done through text messages lang naman,” adding, “I don’t know why anybody would do it to me when I do nobody wrong. Wala akong atraso kanino man.”

Your daily schedule must be hectic. Describe a day in your life.

“I wake up at 8 a.m. and I’m at work the whole day, signing off at around 10 p.m., even later than that.”

Are you overpaid and overworked, or underpaid?

“All government workers are underpaid.” (Laughs) “It’s a calling.”

You are so devoted to work.

“Let’s put it this way: I never intended to work in the Supreme Court when I was in law school. I never thought that I would be spending my legal career in the Supreme Court. It just happened that while I was in law school, I had the privilege of doing my two-month summer internship in the Supreme Court. After that, I was offered a regular job there…while I was still in law school.”

How long have you been with the Supreme Court?

“More than 20 years. I started working there when I was 12.” (Laughs)

How do you divide your time between your work and your family?

“I work Monday to Saturday afternoon, and I devote weekends to my family.”

Are you faithful?

“As always.”

How do you deal with women who flirt with you?

“I’m loaded with work. Why, are there women flirting with me? I’m so busy that I hardly notice them.” (Laughs) “I hardly have free time. Parang ayaw mong maniwala.” (Laughs and laughs again)

How do you deal with aggressive women?

“Ahhhhh…If you go to my office, you will see me with files of documents waiting for me to go over them. So talagang focused ako sa work.”

Don’t tell me that you bring work at home.

”I do. I cannot finish it. Also kasi, I occupy two positions — court administrator…I supervise the judges all over the country and all court personnel. We have around 2,000 judges and 25,000 court personnel. That’s aside from my work as Supreme Court spokesperson and chief of the public information office. The two positions are supposed to be occupied by two people kaya lang tinaggap ko pareho, eh, so kailangan ko panindigan.”

How do you feel when people disagree with a court decision that you have to announce (such as these days with the issuance of the TRO against the travel restriction on former president and now congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo)?

“It’s natural. We don’t expect everyone to agree with the Supreme Court decisions. Even the justices themselves don’t agree with one another. It’s a collegian court. We have 15 justices who come from different backgrounds, who have different philosophies, who have different personalities, who have different biases.”

With your busy schedule, do you manage to take three square meals a day?

“I don’t normally take breakfast except when there are early-morning meetings. Lunch is at irregular hours, sometimes 2 p.m. or 3 p.m., depending on the volume of work that I have to finish. Dinner is late, like 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. My wife waits for me so we eat together.”

What kind of diet do you follow?

“I eat anything.”

How much water do you take per day?

“As much as I can. But I have avoided taking soft drinks.”

What vitamins do you take?

“Vitamin C.”

How much sleep do you get per night?

“Three to four hours. Kulang na kulang.”

Favorite sleepwear?

“Boxers and tank top.”

Do you snore?

“I do…daw! Hahahaha!”

Do you talk in your sleep?

“Sometimes…daw! Hahahaha!”

Do you sleepwalk?

“Thank God, I don’t!”

Last thing that you do before you go to sleep?

“Read.”

First thing that you do when you wake up?

“Take a shower.”

How often do you work out?

“As often as I can on weekends when I go to the gym.”

What part of your body needs improvement?

“My tummy.”

What part of your body is most vulnerable?

“My heart.”

What part of your body is your favorite?

“My heart and my mind.”

What part of a woman’s body do you first look at?

“May I invoke my right against self-incrimination?”

Do you look at other women?

“Again, may I invoke my right against self-incrimination?”

Have you gotten any indecent proposal?

“None that I notice. Kasi nga busy sa work, eh. Siguro alam nila na boring ako. Hahahaha!”

How’s your love life (with your wife, of course!)?

With his family during a fun run, wife Liezl Sarmiento and children Galo and Maia

“Okay naman.”

And your sex life?

“Satisfactory.”

How do you cope with stress?

“I sleep. Sometimes I listen to music…while in the car…mostly R&B and hip-hop.”

You look so cool on national television despite the great stress in your job…except when you accidentally pushed a microphone during a recent conference. It’s a hit in the Internet. How did your wife feel about it?

“Wala. Natawa lang.”

Your favorite hideaway?

“Sa bahay lang because I’m hardly ever at home. Being at home the whole day is luxury for me.”

How do you make up for lost time with your family?

“Weekends are sacred for the family. We go on trips every summer, mga two to three weeks.”

Do you drink?

“No, I don’t.”

Do you smoke?

“No, I don’t.”

How long do you intend to stay in the Supreme Court?

“Until I’m 65…unless I resign.”

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