And the daughter also rises… Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares picks up where her father left off
As the country commemorates the birthday of the late National Artist for Film and 2004 presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. today, many are still in disbelief of the passing of their idol, Da King of Philippine cinema. It was an abrupt end for a man who has touched so many lives on- and off-camera.
Taking over the reins left by Da King is his daughter, Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares. As a mother of three, she is very involved in the welfare of her family, but she also a strong passion to be as equally involved in national affairs – living up to the legacy that her father left her.
An active leader and public speaker since her elementary years, she was a champion debater during her high school years, and a student council officer in college. She took up Development Studies at the University of the Philippines-Manila, but eventually finished Political Science (Government and Political Theory) at Boston College.
Nowadays, Poe-Llamanzares divides her time among her family, her involvement with FPJ groups, and in running the family business, FPJ Productions and Film Archive.
THE LOBBYiST (TL): It has been three and half years since the death of your father, Fernando Poe Jr. How are you holding up?
Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares (MGPL): I think I’m as okay as anyone can get, because I don’t think you can really fully recover from a loss like that, especially if that person had so much to do with who you are as a person. My dad was a very involved father, so even now, there are times that I really miss him – a lot.
My mom and I miss him a lot, but we have adjusted a little bit. Actually, we still tend to do the things that we believe he would have wanted to continue – things like his pet projects or what he wanted done with his films. Also, we continue taking care of the people he had helped in the past. My mom and I thought it’s best to keep doing all that. We also try to do our best to run the business that he left us, especially with regards to its day-to-day operations.
Having continued to do the things that he would have been proud of, or the things he would have done himself, I actually feel better. I really can’t say that I'm fully recovered, but I’m coping. Overall, I’d say we’ve cope a little bit more than when it first happened.
TL: How is your mother holding up?
MGPL: When my dad passed away, of course, it was difficult for her, but she had to set that aside for a period of time because people are looking up to her for guidance after my dad died. So she said she had to set aside her mourning period for at least a year because it was kind of tumultuous in a way; there was the political aspect, and then there was also the emotional aspect of it.
These days, I think that little by little she is able to mourn his loss – after maybe the second year, that’s when she had a little bit more time for herself. After that, she started keeping herself busy with other things like making TV shows, and meeting up with friends from showbiz. That really makes her happy – being in the world where she literally grew up: showbiz. When it comes to the actual business that my dad left behind, she just makes the decisions on the major things. But the actual day-to-day operations, she leaves that up to me and her assistants already.
TL: What are your fondest memories of FPJ?
MGPL: There are a lot of them, but the one I remember well: my dad really gave the best hugs. I mean if you felt happy or sad, he was the person to turn to because you could really feel his involvement, his love. Also, he’s one of the best persons to talk to because he really listens – he listens to me, even if it was too trivial. He really gave me his time and would react to things that I’d say, though minimally at times, but I know he’s listening.
Another good memory was the time before I left for the States: he cooked for me (Laughs). He’s the type of person who would set things aside to make you feel special, to make you feel that you’re the most special person, at least during that time.
TL: What are the lasting impressions that your father left you?
MGPL: First of all, you must always be true to yourself, so that you can be true to others. Who are you as a person? Always deal with people with the purest of intentions. That’s one of his strengths, but also his weakness. Another thing is always be humble. “In victory, humility,” that’s what he always said. He was at the top of his showbiz career for many years, but he always tried as much as possible to be humble at all times.
And of course, never compromise your principles. Even if it was difficult, he didn’t sell out. And I know that there were many instances when he could have, but he didn’t.
TL: FPJ is accomplished in his field. We all know him as a multi-awarded actor, but he was never a politician unlike some of his friends in showbiz. Why did he run for president in 2004? What’s the real reason for his decision to run?
MGPL: I think it’s common knowledge that to begin with, he didn’t really want to enter politics. Before I left for the US, shortly after GMA was declared by Congress as President, I went to my dad and said, “Popsie, thank you for running for the future of my kids.” And I really think in all sincerity, he wanted to help the people.
You know it’s different – I don’t know if you’ve been to an FPJ sortie, or if you’ve been in an FPJ shooting in different areas in the Philippines, but people actually go to him, gravitate towards him, thinking that he can do something better for them: that he can give them hope or make their lives better. I think that my dad, having seen the hardships in so many people’s lives and actually experienced it himself, felt a sense of obligation to give back that way. It might not be probably the right decision for him to do, but he felt that he needed to do it.
When GMA declared that she was going to run, people were approaching FPJ saying that they need somebody, a strong candidate, to beat her since she was a sitting President. They said it had to be somebody close to the people.
Unlike Erap, FPJ never served in an official capacity in government, but he’s helped so many people. He has built schools; helped repair churches; shared his blessings during natural calamities to people who needed help; and sent many children to school. So he was looking at the actual helping part of being in government. Maybe you could say that he didn’t look at the bigger picture, because he didn’t include the political part, which is the bloodiest part.
Me, when my dad decided to do that, I questioned it myself. But I know him – I know he’s a good person. So I know that his intentions will really be good for the country, and that he would do his best to make sure that what will be good for the majority is what will be followed. When I look at it, people in government are educated. They finished school, until probably the PhD level. They are all titled and they have all sorts of work experience in government. But what exactly had been done for us that we can be proud of, where we can say that our lives are much better now? You know when you send a child to school now, they don’t just assess your child’s IQ; they assess your child’s EQ (emotional quotient). I think that the same should be done to people in government. How emotionally involved are they in actually helping the people? How pure are their intentions?
You can’t really do that scientifically, but track-record wise, you can already see. They may be all brains, but they have no heart. I think that’s the problem with the majority of them. So if they belittle FPJ for not being smart, I belittle them for not being sincere, for not having the heart, for not being human, in their ways of treating their fellow citizens.
TL: What role did you play during his campaign? Did you ever gave him advice, or did he seek your advice?
MGPL: My father knew that I was more politically involved than he was. But I was pregnant at that time, and my father and I decided that I shouldn’t be going to sorties because it might not be safe for me. So my dad and I would actually meet whenever he came home from a sortie. We’d talk about his day, disappointments, and his excitements – whatever it was he was feeling. I remember doing a paper for him on the importance of upholding the rights of indigenous farmers and I think that he asked Congressman Escudero to deliver a speech. He didn’t really use the paper that I presented to him, but I gave him ideas why it should be upheld. So, that’s one way I helped him. The rest are just minor things, but that was one paper I was really proud of. (Laughs)
TL: So you never really gave him any policy advice?
MGPL: He had a lot of people doing that for him, more qualified than I am academically and work experience wise. But we did review a lot of them. We actually have a manual here, his platform of government. To put it simply, it was really to uphold his desire to provide for the basic necessities of the family – of the poorest who happens to be the majority.
TL: Do you have any bitterness against the people who were supposed to help your father during the campaign, but left him at a time when he needed them the most?
MGPL: You know what, when it comes to the people who supposedly had anything to do with my father’s campaign, I’d say the majority of them delivered. The majority of them had pure intentions to help. As for those that, they say, didn’t actually do good on their promises, who didn’t really follow through until the end, all I have are hearsays. I can’t prove that they’ve actually abandoned my dad. So for us, we’re thankful for the time and effort they gave my dad’s campaign.
Bitterness has more to do with the people who cheated my dad during the elections. Those people are actually the ones who merit the anger or disgust from our part. When we talk about the people who helped FPJ, and may not have done the best they could have done, I cannot really say that we don’t like them. For me, it’s our own look out. I think when we came in during the 2003-2004 campaign, we were not really ready because first of all, my father was not really a politician. The people that he placed there, he basically put them there because he trusted them – that was his call.
But the people who cheated him, especially the people in power now, they didn’t just cheat my father. They cheated the Filipino people. That’s what my father always told me: “They didn’t cheat me. They cheated the Filipino people.” So if I’m ever upset about it, I’m upset not just because I’m the daughter of FPJ, but because I’m a Filipino – a private citizen with children who I’d like to have a better future.
After the 2004 elections, he said, “Let’s move on. Bigyan natin ng pagkakataon itong administrasyon na ito [Let’s give this administration a chance].” As a family, we were thinking, “Hey, wait a minute. Maybe it’s all personal for us. Maybe we should really step back. Maybe that’s what the people like.” But after four years with them in power, what have we got? I think the state of the nation is so bad right now, that people are actually hungrier; people have fewer meals. So it just validates the point that they didn’t have the mandate to begin with, because all they’re doing now is paying off people who have installed them in power. As a private citizen, I’m angry. And as a daughter of FPJ, it’s just natural that I feel that way.
TL: Related to your points about the present state of the nation, what are your thoughts about the things happening in the country right now, with the price increases in rice, oil, and other basic needs, and a general feeling of hopelessness among Filipinos?
MGPL: You know what? The propaganda used by the government is “change begins within us.” That’s true. But perhaps there has to be something that should inspire that change. I think the Filipino people are just waiting for something that will inspire them to actually be better, to actually have the desire to change. But how can you feel inspired when you see that the very people who are supposed to lead you are setting a bad example? In this case, I think that what we need is a jolt of inspiration from the top. I think there should be good leadership – a leader who is transparent, sincere and who has a heart to really lead the nation. If the people can see that their President, their legislators, or the people in the judiciary are actually sincere in their desire to institute change that will help the majority, I think that more people will come together to actually do something good for this country. What’s happening now is “oo nga e, magpapakabait ako, hindi ko bibigyan ang suhol ang taong ito sa gobyerno. Pag hindi ko naman ginawa yun, ako rin naman ang paparusahan.” But if they see, “uy, yung mismong mga namumuno ang nagpapakita na pag nagkamali ka, parurusahan ka. Aba kinakampihan din ako nito, diba?” Hindi ako matatakot gumawa ng mabuti. Yun ang naisip ko [Even if I do good, I will still be punished. But if people see that those in power are punished for their wrongdoings, the people will follow. They will not be afraid to do good things].
For me, at this point, I think that it’s important for people to be aware that we should have electoral reforms – that we should protect our right to choose our leaders. Come 2010, if we don’t have that right anymore –let’s say Charter change is instituted and no elections take place, the same people will remain in power. And no matter how they try to bring about change in a positive way, the question will always remain – they began with a questionable installation in power. How can you be inspired by that? You’re very leaders cheated you.
My advocacy for electoral reforms is really for that, so that we would have a better future, and people will be more inspired to do better.
TL: What are your father’s dreams for the Filipinos? How do you intend to carry them out?
MGPL: Let me tell you this: it was not the advocacy of FPJ to have electoral reforms. I mean, he was asking that people guard his votes. But it was not really a set advocacy for him because he didn’t know that cheating will be that massive. It’s really the followers of FPJ now, or the people who supported FPJ who have that advocacy.
The advocacy of FPJ was really to provide food on the table of every Filipino. Basic as it may seem, it’s something that they cannot achieve right now – ALTANGHAP, almusal, tanghalian, hapunan [breakfast, lunch, supper].
How do we institute electoral reforms? First is to provide information. The camp of FPJ prepared, after the elections, a disc that contains how, more or less, the cheating in 2004 was done. Those discs were distributed to many. Another way is also to actually make sure that people are actually active in whatever protest actions there are to promote electoral reforms. There are many protest actions, and sometimes, they say that they are unnecessary anymore, and people don’t really care. But I think that we have to keep that feeling alive, that we really have to guard their votes. ABS-CBN has come up with something like “Boto mo, I-patrol mo.” So that’s one way of giving information. Another important thing is the active involvement of the citizens during elections. They can cheat people if they really want to, but it would be very difficult, and can’t be systematized if people are actually guarding their votes.
Now how do we do that when everything is already supposedly computerized? I think that one thing we have to really study is this election in the ARMM. I think that computer experts have to really come together to see how this thing works, because I personally don’t know how it works. How can you guard against fraud here? But if that is the small picture by which the bigger picture in 2010 will be based, we really have to be aware about these machines: are they actually efficient? how do we guard against fraud here? There should be more caucuses to discuss these things.
TL: We’ve all seen your father, first as a showbiz celebrity, and lastly, as a political candidate. How is FPJ as a person behind the spotlight?
MGPL: It’s funny because, when my two cousins and I would talk, and you ask them how FPJ is as a private individual, they’ll say that he’s not far from his characters in the movies: quiet, loving, responsible. He’s really that way. Of course, he’ll joke more and he’s more playful.
Even if you think his thinking and his actions about upholding justice and defending the good is like a cliché, that’s how he really is in real life. For us, his charisma was actually on- and off-cam. He’s very consistent – whether he’s on-cam or off-cam. He’s always sincere. That’s why some people would say that FPJ films are always predictable – the plot, the character and the ending. That’s how he is. He won’t change his character, and have the bad defeat the good? Never. The good should always win against evil.
TL: How would you compare the movies with politics?
MGPL: My dad wasn’t happy with the political side. I could tell that he didn’t have satisfaction doing that, having to deal with some people whom he knew could be insincere. In showbiz at least, he could already calculate, he would know the people he would work with. When he entered politics, he knew he would deal with all sorts of personalities so he wasn’t so happy. But in terms of having the desire to help, I think that was the only thing that got him going.
TL: How’s FPJPM? We haven’t heard about the organization lately.
MGPL: You know that’s really interesting. I’m not the nominee for FPJPM but I support them because they’re one of the groups that imbibe the visions of FPJ. What’s happening to them is actually sad, because I think there are 17 party-list groups that were proclaimed, and they now have seats in Congress. The next one should’ve been FPJPM.
There were certain provinces where the votes weren’t counted, or stopped, or something – and FPJPM has votes in those areas. There is supposedly now a Supreme Court ruling that might be released – I’m not sure yet if it’s favorable – supposedly that more party-list will be proclaimed winners and would be part of Congress.
But FPJPM, in spite of the fact that they should’ve been the next to be proclaimed, wouldn’t be a part of it. You know why? Because somebody filed a protest with the COMELEC disqualifying FPJM on the grounds that they don’t have the right constituency, meaning they don’t have the disenfranchised as members. It’s kind of weird because, first of all, most of the supporters of FPJ come from the class of people that actually need support from the government. What did the COMELEC do? They ruled in favor of that complaint. So FPJPM is technically disqualified. Even if the Supreme Court rules that the next batch of party-list be proclaimed, FPJPM will not be part of it because it still have a case in the Supreme Court trying to remove the disqualification issue against the group.
Really, they’re doing everything and anything to stop these groups that remind people of FPJ from taking part in this government. It’s pretty obvious – all the maneuvering they’re doing. But these don’t stop us, because we don’t want to give up on the future of our children.
TL: How do you intend to address whatever issues are confronting FPJPM right now?
MGPL: Everything right now is being appealed with the Supreme Court. (FPJPM head) Boots Cadsawan has his own legal advisers who are taking care of that. I think it’s now a wait-and-see situation, because you can’t really rush the Supreme Court. Another thing is to disprove the allegations that they don’t have constituencies who are poor; FPJPM continues to have programs that actually reach out to those in need. So Boots Cadsawan, along with the members, still continue these programs. Sometimes, I join them. We send some children to school, and then there are some assistance for those who are sick. But it’s not very organized, and the funding is really minimal. Whatever donations we get from our members, that’s what we use to continue these projects.
TL: Do you intend to revitalize the organization?
MGPL: Well, there are many FPJ groups, and I divide my time among them. For me, the more groups that are interested in promoting FPJ’s kind of vision, the better for our country.
Right now, we’re trying to organize the FPJ Foundation. Hopefully when that gets approved, we could give a portion of the earnings of FPJ films that we show on television, to these different organizations and charities that uphold the vision of FPJ, and one of them would be FPJPM. That would help them in the financial aspect. We haven’t approved the foundation yet because we’re still putting together the framework, the objectives, and the people who will form part of it. We’re working with a law firm that’s putting it together. That’s one way I could extend support to groups like FPJPM.
Outside of the financial part, we actually meet every now and then to decipher what’s going on nationally – things affecting us as a result of the policies made by government. They also meet with their other members, and then we talk about it; we discuss it. I think it will help because even if it was just a bit of information, at least people know about it. It would be harder for them to take away the rights of people when people are aware.
TL: How do you normally spend your days?
MGPL: In the morning, it’s usually the time when I check my emails. I check my emails after I have my coffee. Then I spend time with my four-year-old daughter before she leaves for school. My two older children have their routine already.
When my youngest leaves, that’s when I actually start getting into what the office needs, talking to the admin assistant, and seeing what needs to be done. My meetings are usually scheduled around lunch time and after-lunch, so that’s when I actually meet with people if there are any businesses that need to be done, that includes FPJ Productions, the film archive, as well as the company that we run.
In the afternoon, I wait for my kids to arrive home from school. Sometimes they get home ahead of me. That’s when we have some bonding time. Dinner time is usually at 7. If I don’t have an engagement, we usually have dinner together, spend time a little bit with the kids, exercise, (laughs). I get ready for bed, tuck them in, and read them a story. You know it’s just very ordinary, there is nothing extraordinary in my life except probably my aspirations for the visions of my Dad which I want to uphold and continue.
TL: How about your “alone” time?
MGPL: Hardly. (Laughs) I like putting things together like the albums of my kids. I have a lot of pictures. Even if there are things that you can do on the computer, I still like developing my own pictures, fixing an album, and putting together a scrapbook. I also sort out my dad’s things, his memorabilia, and articles about him which I haven’t organized very well yet.
I also like fixing the house. That’s something I enjoy doing. If I have more time, I’ll probably try to be like Martha Stewart, but I think that’s a luxury I can’t afford at this time.
TL: Tell us about your family.
MGPL: I think for my husband, after working in US for so long – he’s working here now – it took some adjustment, but he is actually okay now.
My son, Brian, at an early age, has already expressed his desire to be in public service. Whatever he does in school, he always thinks about that as a goal in the future. He has been consistently the class president and head of the debate team in school. He’s been joining different competitions in debate and extemporaneous speech, so he’s geared towards that. He recently took the UPCAT, and we’re all crossing our fingers because he said that he didn’t answer 85 questions that were all in Filipino. Having grown up in the States, he said that he just felt so helpless. (Laughs) But he said that the Math, Science, and English parts were manageable for him.
My two daughters go to Assumption, and they’re happy with school. You know my elder daughter; she said she wants to be a writer. She’s only nine years old, so I don’t know. My other daughter, being the youngest, my ambition for her is just to be happy. (Laughs)
TL: You said your son is inclined towards public service. Experiencing what your father experienced when he tried to enter public service, would you still encourage your son?
MGPL: Of course, I would because he would be better prepared than his grandfather. His grandfather never had the ambition to be a public servant in an official capacity. But to have that as ambition is a noble ambition. The important thing, I think, is to guard against being corrupted along the way.
I think the good thing is that my son grew up in the States. He’s seen accountability in government. There, if you did something wrong and you’re found out, you have to be punished for it. Unlike here, they actually try to exhaust all legal means so that they can skip being prosecuted. He saw that growing up, and he saw what they have done to his grandfather, how they ridiculed them, how they cheated him. So in a way, I think that he would like to have a better chance to prove that his family can still serve this country, and his family can continue the legacy of FPJ.
TL: You are a very private person, yet there is a clamor for you to continue where your father left off. Are you ready to do this?
MGPL: How nice of you to say that there’s a clamor. (Laughs) I wouldn’t say that there’s a clamor, but I would say that there’s a little bit of an expectation. I pray everyday that I could be as good as my dad, as a person. I think that to take on the challenge to be like FPJ is not just about being smart, efficient or be able to do programs that would help the poor – it’s actually being a good person. And that’s a day-to-day challenge for me, to live up to being a good person everyday.
Education-wise, I took up political science. I concentrated in Government and Political Theory, so I have a little bit of that. In terms of issues, since I was in college, I was involved in the student council of UP Manila. When I went to Boston College, aside from my major, I actually helped set up the Filipino Cultural Club there. So I have these inclinations towards policy making, towards public service, towards government. That aspect is not so much my challenge; my challenge is to be a good person so I can become a true and good public servant. To give you a definite answer, I pray that I would be. I am ready for the challenge to be like FPJ.
TL: What are your expectations for the 2010 elections? What do you want to see? What do you expect to happen?
MGPL: I think that people in power now will do everything to maneuver the setup so that they can remain in power. I think that’s really their agenda. But I think that the clamor of the people to have change is actually getting stronger. I think what people are thinking now is, “Let’s choose our battles.” I think when it comes to extending their terms; I don’t think people will allow them anymore. So I’m still optimistic that there will be an election in 2010.
Now, will it be a clean and honest election? There shouldn’t be a sitting president running. Otherwise, they will manipulate all government resources to their advantage. I am hoping that in 2010, there will be a unified opposition, so that it would be an easier fight. Will that happen? I don’t know. That is still something that I really cannot answer at this point.
TL: What’s next for Grace Poe?
MGPL: I’ll be turning 40. That’s next. (Laughs) It’s not exactly a reason to rejoice, but that’s a fact of life.
Let’s see. I’m taking an active role right now with the different groups promoting awareness for electoral reforms. I am taking part more in FPJ groups – NCCV, FPJPM, and FPJM. There are so many groups. The Mowelfund is still another project, another organization where our family is very active with, for the welfare of the movie workers. So I plan to continue to do that.
I plan to promote the FPJ image, through his films. We’re coming up with FPJ merchandise for the younger group of consumers. It’s more like an iconic image of FPJ, like what they did to Elvis Presley. So we’re really busy developing that product. (Celebrated Filipino designer) Rajo Laurel is helping us, and also the ABS-CBN Licensing and Marketing Team. That’s the fun part.
On the political side, I plan to be more vocal about what’s going on because I feel that the best inheritance I got from my dad is his name, his good name. Wherever I go, it’s like a credit card. My credit is good with a lot of people because they know that my father was a good person. So I intend to preserve that for my children. I intend to have people remember FPJ through the good works that he had done. If I continue to do that, I have the means financially and politically to do that, I would like to continue that. So I’m preparing towards that.
Interview by Jayson Edward B. San Juan Photos by Leluck del Rosario
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