Grace Poe says she'll continue her father's legacy

(Updated 3:57 p.m.) Grace Poe-Llamanzares, head of the Movies and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), on Tuesday said she is running for senator to continue the legacy of her father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. "Talagang hindi nawawala yung alaala ni FPJ na sana magpatuloy ang kanyang mga naudlot na pangarap,” Llamanzares told reporters after she filed her certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) main office in Manila. But Llamanzares, who was accompanied by her mother, the actress Susan Roces, said bringing justice to her late father, who ran for president in 2004 but was defeated by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a highly contested election, was not her only agenda in seeking an elective post. “Hindi maalis sa 'kin 'yun. Pero ang agenda ng pagbibigay ng katarungan, hindi lamang sa dayaang nangyari noong 2004. Kasama na rin sa pagbibigay ng hustisya ang mga ginusto ni FPJ na sana magkaroon ng standardized feeding program, magkarooon ng almusal, tanghalian at hapunan,” she said Llamanzares cited her brief experience in MTRCB as a factor in convincing herself that she wanted to serve in government one more time. “’Yung pagkakataon na nagsilbi ako sa gobyerno, nakita ko na pag nagsikap ka naman, marami ka talagang magagawa at matutulungan.” As a result of her filing of COC, Llamanzares is now deemed resigned from her post in the MTRCB in accordance with election rules concerning appointed officials. Adopted candidate Both the ruling Liberal Party and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) – a coalition of Vice President Jejomar Binay's Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) and former President Joseph Estrada's Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) – have expressed interest in adopting Llamanzares as a senatorial candidate, but she committed to exclusively join the LP during campaign sorties. “Andoon ako [sa LP] dahil kay President PNoy. Pag nag-iikot sila, maaaring sumama talaga ako sa kanila,” she said, adding in jest: “Marami nang nauna sa UNA." She, however, noted that she could still attend UNA’s campaign if she gets invited by Binay and Estrada. “Una naman hindi naman kailangang sumama ako sa kanila sa entamblado. Pero on a personal level pag meron imbitasyon si Erap at Binay hindi naman mawawala na andoon kami,” she said. She shared that Binay and President considered her an “adopted child” of both parties. “Kinausap ko po si Ninong Erap at Binay. Sabi nila kahit anong partido ka, naiintindihan namin kasi administrasyon ka ngayon. Basta ia-adopt ka namin.” “Sabi nila sa 'kin, ‘yan ang kasaysayan ng buhay mo. Adopted ako ng lahat,” she added.   Susan Roces Roces, for her part, said she remembered her husband when she entered the Comelec main office. “Siguro magsisinungaling ako kung hindi ko naalala ' yun paminsan-minsan. Katulad ng pagpasok ko ngayon, maraming alaalang bumalik sa 'kin. Sinamahan ko rin ang aking kabiyak para mag-rehistro,” she told reporters in an interview. “Nagbalik-alaala rin ako nung unang inakay ko ang aking anak. Kinder pa lang siya, noong unang araw ng kanyang eskwela. Maraming alaala,” she added, making Llamanzares teary-eyed. — KBK, GMA News