Richard Gomez

Richard Frank Icasiano Gomez in Manila on April 7, 1966 as an only child of his parents. His father was a racecar driver and his mother Stella Suarez was a actress active in the 1960s. He was into sports as a child, focusing on volleyball from elementary to high school. Gomez later studied at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines for his collegiate studies.

Gomez's parents separated and by high school, Gomez was already living with his grandmother. For his secondary education he attended the Arellano University. After graduating, Gomez worked at McDonald's until 1983.

He was into sports as a child, focusing on volleyball from elementary to high school. Gomez later studied at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines for his collegiate studies.

Gomez attended a summer intensive course in mass communication and film at the New York University in 1994. Shortly after he began his anti-drug advocacy.

He earned a doctorate in public administration from the Cebu Technological University in 2019.

Gomez was scouted by Douglas Quijano who became his talent manager while he was working at McDonald's. Quijano was an associate and friend of his mother.

His first major role in a feature film was Inday Bote which premiered in 1986. He co-starred with Maricel Soriano. He was offered the role originally intended for Gabby Concepcion by Lily Monteverde of Regal Films.

In 2002, he transferred to GMA network with his first melodrama show, Ang Iibigin Ay Ikaw and its sequel Ang Iibigin Ay Ikaw Pa Rin as well as presenting S-Files. His first GMA sitcom was Lagot Ka, Isusumbong Kita which aired from 2003 to 2007.

Gomez hosted the Philippine edition of Family Feud on GMA Network.

He is a former GMA Network contract artist under GMA Artist Center (now Sparkle GMA Artist Center).

After his movie Filipinas in 2003, Gomez made a comeback in the indie film Bente which starred Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Iza Calzado. He briefly returned to GMA Network in the weekly drama anthology, Claudine, and returned to the Kapatid Network The 5 Network after 17 years by hosting the weekend variety show, P. O.5.. He appeared in the drama show, My Driver Sweet Lover, and Mga Nagbabagang Bulaklak. Gomez was part of the teleseries Walang Hanggan from January 16, 2012. He co-hosted The Biggest Game Show In The World (Asia) with Joey de Leon, and appeared in the comedy-drama, Madam Chairman.

In 2015, he starred in the mystery drama You're My Home with Dawn Zulueta and an ensemble cast.

Gomez was appointed as presidential adviser on youth and sports in 1999 by then President Joseph Estrada.

He then became chairperson of the Mamamayan Ayaw sa Droga which sought party-list representation in the House of Representatives via the May 2001 election. He was the first nominee of the group.

MAD garnered 1.5 million votes placing second to Bayan Muna in the elections which would have guaranteed its top three nominees including Gomez seats in the House of Representatives. However the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) disqualified MAD for not representing a marginalized group as intended by the party-list sector. The Supreme Court ruled with finality in April 2002 regarding the issue ending Gomez' bid to be seated as MAD representative.

He planned to run as governor of Bulacan province but, lacking the residency requirements, ran instead as an independent in the 2007 Senatorial elections which he lost.

In 2010, he ran for a seat in the Congress for the 4th district of Leyte but was disqualified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for failing to establish residency in Ormoc. His wife, Lucy Torres-Gomez, took his place and won. He served as his wife's chief of staff during her term as congresswoman.

In 2013, he ran for mayor of Ormoc but lost. He was finally elected as Mayor in 2016 and was reelected in 2019.

He ran for a seat in the Congress for the 4th district of Leyte in 2022, switching places with his wife and eventually won.

Fencing:

Gomez competed in fencing with the épee as his weapon. Gomez first major appearance as a competing fencer was at the 1995 Finlandia Fencing Championships at the Shangri-La Plaza where he outbested national team members to claim the men's épee title.

Gomez represented the Philippines internationally at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games as a fencer starting in the 1995 edition in Chiang Mai. He won a silver medal at the 1997 edition in Jakarta and another in the 2001 edition in Kuala Lumpur. He later won a gold medal each in the 2003 and 2005 editions He quit fencing in the SEA Games after.

He later won a gold medal for the Philippines at the Asian Master Fencing Championship in 2015.

Gomez served as president of the Philippine Fencing Association from 2016 to 2023.

Sports shooting:

After taking part as a fencer at the 2001 SEA Games, Gomez took up sports shooting. Gomez competed in both fencing and shooting in the 2005 edition. In the shooting event, Gomez participated in the trap and skeet.

Gomez also competes in clay pigeon shooting. In 2022, he participated in the 4th FITASC Asian Sporting Championships, where he won the senior category silver medal at the Compak Sporting event and fourth place at the sporting clays event. Gomez is the organizer of the Sporting Clays Association of the Philippines. Gomez returns to the SEA Games in the 2025 edition in Thailand as a clay pigeon shooter.

Rowing:

Gomez managed the Philippine rowing team at the 1991 SEA Games in Manila.

Other sports:

Gomez was a member of the Philippine national rowing Team (1989–1991), national volleyball team (2014–2005). Gomez is also the president of the Philippine Modern Pentathlon Association.

Gomez is married to Lucy Torres. He first met Torres in 1993, when the two was working on a television commercial for the shampoo brand Lux. Their marriage took place on April 28, 1998 at the Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church in Torres' hometown of Ormoc, Leyte. They have one daughter, Juliana (b. 2000), who grew up to be a fencer.

Alleged connection to Albuera shooting incident:

Gomez and his wife, incumbent Ormoc mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, were alleged by Albuera, Leyte mayoral candidate Kerwin Espinosa to possibly be connected to an assassination attempt on the latter's life on April 10, 2025. In his claim, Espinosa stated that Ormoc police chief Reydante Ariza, a suspect in the incident, would have only answered to the Gomez couple, though he refrained from accusing them outright of instructing Ariza to target him. Gomez has denounced Espinosa's statement, and claimed that the assassination attempt on Espinosa was "scripted".