Two Senate top-notchers, Grace and Loren, trot out their sons

The two leading candidates in the 2013 Senate race have a lot of things in common: they're both female, they ran under the same coalition, and their college-age sons were visible during the campaign season.

As they jumped from one sortie to another for almost three months, Grace Poe and Loren Legarda were often seen with their respective sons, Brian and Leandro, in tow. The sons would even represent their mothers at some events when their mothers couldn't make it.

Brian is Poe's son with Neil Llamanzares while Leandro is Legarda's son with former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste. Both husbands, however, were not visible in the campaign.

In a text message to GMA News Online, political analyst Mon Casiple said this strategy of bringing children to sorties "softens their (candidates') image and humanizes them."

Even after the campaign, however, both Poe and Legarda were still seen with their sons during media interviews.

In fact, when Poe guested on GMA's “24 Oras” on Tuesday night, she was with Brian. Both were even identically garbed in white collared long-sleeved shirts.

During the interview, Brian gushed about his mother's strong performance in the Senate race considering that she was practically a political neophyte.

"Sobrang masaya po ako. Gusto kong pasalamatan ang ating mga kababayan... Malaking bagay 'to para sa. Isipin mo, we've been waiting for this since '04. This is a big deal for us," said Brian in American-accented Filipino, referring to the year his grandfather, Fernando Poe Jr., ran for the president but lost allegedly due to massive poll fraud.

Brian spent his childhood in the United States with his parents, coming home only after his grandfather FPJ died in 2004.

Asked if her son also has plans to enter politics, Grace said Brian actually wants to be in show business.  

"Yan po 'yung ambition niya talaga. Pero sabi ko, anak, tulungan mo muna ako as kampanya. Pero ngayon tapos na.  Sabi ko, sige mag-audition ka muna anak. Umpisa nga sabi ko, pasasalihin ko ba 'to kay Wally at kay Jose sa Eat Bulaga para ma-immerse talaga," she said with a laugh.

Brian is a senior political science major at the Ateneo de Manila University.

Leandro

A day after Poe's interview, Legarda went on GMA News TV's “News To Go” with her son Leandro. Both also wore white shirts. Leandro is also a political science student, but at Yale University in the US.

During the interview, Leandro said he was proud of how his mother responded to the negative publicity about her.


"Siyempre po malungkot dahil ang mga pamilya po ng mga kandidato ay silang mas lalong [naaapektuhan] ng mga issue katulad po nito," Leandro said, with practiced poise. "At bilang isang kabataan kinalulungkot ko rin po na 'yun po ang level ng politics sa bansa na ito.  Pero proud na proud po ako na maganda ang mga sagot ng aking ina sa mga alegasyon na ito. Sa tingin ko po maliwanag na maliwanag na siya po ay may malinis na record at siya ay nanindigan para sa kanyang malinis na record."

Legarda said this was precisely the reason why she doesn't want her son to enter politics.

"Ang sabi ko, anak, 'wag ka na sumabak sa pulitika dahil napakasakit," she said.

Leandro said he is still too young to even consider joining politics.

"Batang-bata pa po ako, siguro tapusin ko muna ang aking pag-aaral," said the 19-year-old Yale University student, adding he wants to have a career outside of politics first like his mom, who was in the broadcast industry for 20 years.

"Gusto ko mag-abugado muna po," Leandro said.

As for Legarda, she said she will let her son decide his own future.

"In my speech in one of the universities... I said follow your heart, follow your passion. So I will let my children go wherever their heart tells them," she said.

Invisible husbands

But unlike Poe's and Legarda's sons, their husbands had shied away from the campaign.

Legarda is separated from Leviste, who was jailed after being convicted for killing his friend and long-time aide Rafael de las Alas.

On the other hand, Poe said her husband prefers to stay out of the spotlight.

"Yung asawa ko po talaga kahit hindi po 'yan nage-epal at hindi lumalabas kung saan-saan,” she said in an interview on GMA News TV's “Balitanghali” Wednesday. “Siya talaga 'yung nag-ayos nung schedule lalung-lalo na po nung ating mga plano sa media."

Poe has edged out Legarda for the top Senate spot based on partial and unofficial results.

Despite this, Legarda said she and Poe remain on good terms especially since Poe is the daughter of Fernando Poe Jr., her running mate in the 2004 elections.

"Sa pagka-senador naman two times ako naging number one,” she pointed out. “Kung matutuloy ngayon number two sa anak ni Da King... eh ano pa ba hihilingin ko sa buhay?" — KBK/HS, GMA