IN CALAMBA, a town just south of Manila, the Philippine capital, Grace Poe is talking about her father, Ferdinand Poe Junior, or FPJ. Wielding a microphone in the morning sunlight in front of a fruit-stall in the market, she tells an enthusiastic crowd several-hundred strong that many of his films were shot near here; and when the famous actor ran for president in 2004, the province voted for him. She also talks of her origins before she was adopted by Philippine movie royalty: as a baby abandoned in a church, whose parents have never been identified. Yet in 2013, aged 44, she was elected to the Senate, with a record number of votes. Lump in the throat and tears in the eyes, she remembers being told at the time that she could not win. In a day of radio interviews, school visits (where her team are greeted like rock stars) and a press conference, her personal story keeps coming up. Clearly, it appeals to many Filipinos; it has helped make her the favourite in the presidential election to be held next May.
The race to succeed Benigno Aquino, who must stand down after the one six-year term the constitution allows, will be hard-fought. Most of the 130...Continue reading
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