Candidate Poe ready to face verdict of Filipino voters on Monday

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After a grueling 90-day election campaign, independent presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe showed up in a star-studded miting de avance ready to face the verdict of the 54.4 million Filipino voters on Monday.

In front of the thousands of supporters at the Plaza Miranda on Saturday night, the petite but courageous lady senator stood first facing the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo Church to thank God for protecting her team throughout the campaign period and then faced the cheering crowd that include her family and adoptive mother Susan Roces.

”Hindi natin alam kung bakit tayo naririto minsan. Hindi natin alam kung paano magsisimula ang ating buhay. Sino ang mag-aakala na ang isang batang iniwan sa simbahan ay makakarating dito sa harap ninyo. Sino ang mag-aakala na ang isang batang iniwan ay magkakaroon ng mga magulang na aalagaan siya, aarugain, at ibibigay ang pangangailangan upang maipagpatuloy kung ano ang nararapat at makatulong sa kanyang kapwa. Kaya itong araw na ito ay araw ng pasasalamat,” Poe said in her speech.

Poe was found as a baby in a church in Jaro, Iloilo in 1968 and was later adopted by the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. and actress Susan Roces.

It was a tough journey for the 47-year-old wife of Neil Llamanzares and a mother to three children who gave her inspiration at the time when her being a foundling was questioned by political rivals.

The lady senator hurdled all the questions about her qualifications to run for the highest position of the land through the favorable decision from the Supreme Court.

“Ito na siguro ang isa sa mga pinakamahirap na pinagdaaanan ko at ng aking pamilya… Lahat ng pagpintas, lahat ng pagdurog sa aking pagkatao, sa aking pamilya, lahat ng bintang na di totoo ay tinanggap ko ng buong-buo dahil ito ay hindi lang para sa aking sarili kundi para sa inyo,” Poe said.

Partido Galing at Puso’s miting de avance was attended by celebrity supporters including superstar Nora Aunor, singer-composer Ogie Alcasid, Carmina Villaroel, Poe’s sister Lovi Poe, Heart Evangelista, wife of Poe’s running mate Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, singer Angeline Quinto, former child star Niño Muhlach, Epy Quizon, and Ruby Rodriguez.

She said the Filipinos worth the fight, making a final push for her “Gobyernong may Puso” with a firm declaration to fight anyone who will thwart the will of the people or threaten to take away the Filipinos’ hard-won democratic rights.

“Sana sa darating na anim na taon, hindi takot ang manaig sa atin kundi kaginhawahan para sa bawat isa—isang lider na tutugon sa inyong pangangailangam, isang lider na pakikinggan kayo, na madarama ang nadarama n’yo, at ibibigay ang nararapat para sa inyo,” she said.

Throughout the campaign trail, Poe said she drew inspirations from the poor struggling to rise above poverty, from parents dreaming for their children and from the people fighting out their frustrations from their unanswered appeals from the government.

“Kayo ang nagbigay sa akin ng lakas: ang mga lola at matatandang kahit nahihirapan na maglakad ay lumalapit sakin; ang mga bata na di pa makakaboto, na sabi Grace Poe, gusto ko ang ginagawa mo; ang mga nanay, na sinasabi ‘wag mo akong kalimutan; ang mga tatay na lumalapit at nagsasabi na pinanuod ko ang tatay mo, naaalala ko siya ‘pag pinapanuod kita,” she said.

“Mga kababayan, mahal na mahal ko kayo dahil sa kabila ng pintas, sa kabila ng paninira, sa kabila na nakita nyong ako’y hindi perpekto, kahit na ako’y isang pulot—hindi nyo ako hinusgahan. Ang binigay nyo sakin ay pagtiwala,” Poe said, turning emotional and halting her speech.

This trust, she said, is the reason she will never give in to any political maneuverings.

Poe bared the invitation by the ruling Liberal Party to forge an alliance with its standard bearer in order to beat what it considers a looming dictatorship. While she believes that there is a need for unity, Poe said she will never abandon her promise of a more caring government for all Filipinos.

“Sa dinadami-dami ba naman ng sinabi nyo sakin, sa lahat ng problema ninyo, sa lahat ng mali sa sistema na tinatamasa natin—ngayon pa ba ako papayag na ang ipagpatuloiy ay ang mali?” Poe said, drawing cheers from the crowd. “‘Pag ang pag-uusapan natin ay para ako’y sumuko, para isuko ko ang pangarap ninyo at ang aking paninindigan ay ‘wag na lang tayo mag-usap.”

The senator recalled that it was the administration that lodged legal obstacles to her presidential bid every step of the way in an attempt to disqualify her from the race.

“Matagal ko nang sinabi sa kanila na may banta sa demokrasya dahil hindi nila tayo pinapakinggan. Mga kababayan, hindi ako nagyayabang. Narito ako, pinepresenta ang aking sarili, ang aking plano, para kayo ang mamili at hindi lamang sila na mga may kaya at may makinarya,” she said.

If elected, Poe said she will be a president that listens—one that works to give every Filipino family the chance to live dignified lives.

“Patuloy ang pangarap hindi na para sa aking sarili kundi pangarap na ang bawat Pilipino ay di na mag-alala kung saan kukuhain ang pagkain araw-araw, hindi mag-alalala kung bukas may trabaho pa sila, na ang kanilang mga anak ay magkaron ng de-kalidad na edukasyon, na ang bawat Pilipino ay di mawalay sa pamilya—‘yan ang pangarap ko sa inyo,” she said.

“Maaaring hindi ako macho, maaaring hindi ako kasing-siga ng iba pero may tapang ako ‘pag kayo na ang inaapi. Hindi ako papayag. Pag ako hinamon, hindi ako aatras,” Poe said.

She called on Filipino voters to choose a leader who will not only make them feel secure but will also respect their rights.

“Marami tayong dapat ayusin pero gagawin natin ito sa makatao at maka-Diyos na paraan. ‘Yun ang pinaka-importante. Nakakatakot isipin na ipagpalit ang ating kalayaan. Importante na maging ligtas tayo. Pero ayaw natin ng berdugo, ayaw natin ng executioner,” she said.

Poe topped the 2013 senatorial elections, garnering a biggest 20 million votes that a neophyte could get in a national election.

She did not disappoint her supporters, passing important bills including the Freedom of Information Bill and conducted investigations on some controversial issues including the Mamasapano massacre that killed 44 Special Action Forces (SAF) troopers.

Poe was the top favorite among the presidential candidates based on surveys in the first three months this year but the sudden surge of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte pushed Poe down to the second spot.

Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, Poe’s running mate, also lost grip of the top spot of the vice presidential race and skidded to third spot behind Sen. Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos and congresswoman Leni Robredo.

Escudero blamed their decline to their lack of machineries but remains hopeful that Poe will still win in the Monday elections. (PNA report by Jelly Musico)

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