 | This article'slead sectionmay be too short to adequatelysummarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead toprovide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. The reason given is:Does not include her political views and actions in office. Focused too much on election results.(August 2021) |
Grace Poe | |
|---|---|
.png) Portrait of Poe as member of the PhilippineCommission on Appointments | |
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| In office June 30, 2013 – June 30, 2025 | |
| Chair of theSenate Economic Affairs Committee | |
| In office July 25, 2022 – June 30, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Imee Marcos |
| Succeeded by | Juan Miguel Zubiri |
| Chair of theSenate Public Services Committee | |
| In office July 25, 2016 – June 30, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Bong Revilla |
| Succeeded by | Raffy Tulfo |
| Chair of theSenate Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies Committee | |
| In office July 22, 2019 – June 30, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Francis Escudero |
| Succeeded by | Mark Villar |
| Chair of theSenate Public Information and Mass Media Committee | |
| In office July 22, 2013 – June 30, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Gregorio Honasan |
| Succeeded by | Bong Revilla |
| Chair of theSenate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee | |
| In office July 22, 2013 – June 30, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Gregorio Honasan |
| Succeeded by | Panfilo Lacson |
| Chair of theMovie and Television Review and Classification Board | |
| In office October 10, 2010 – October 2, 2012 | |
| President | Benigno Aquino III |
| Preceded by | Consoliza Laguardia |
| Succeeded by | Eugenio Villareal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mary Grace Natividad Sonora Poe (1968-09-03)September 3, 1968 (age 57) Jaro, Iloilo City, Philippines |
| Citizenship |
|
| Party | Independent |
| Spouse | |
| Relations | Lovi Poe(paternal half-sister) Sheryl Cruz(cousin) Rosemarie Sonora(aunt) Andy Poe(uncle) Conrad Poe(uncle) Fernando Poe Sr.(grandfather) |
| Children | 3 (includingBrian) |
| Parents |
|
| Alma mater | University of the Philippines Manila Boston College (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Campaign website |
Mary Grace Natividad Sonora Poe-Llamanzares (born September 3, 1968) is a Filipino politician who served as asenator of the Philippines from 2013 to 2025. Anindependent, she previously served as the chairperson of theMovie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) from 2010 to 2012. She was a candidate in the2016 Philippine presidential election, having run as the standard-bearer of thePartido Galing at Puso (PGP).
The adoptive daughter of actorsFernando Poe Jr. andSusan Roces, she studied at theUniversity of the Philippines Manila before moving toBoston College in the United States, where she finished a degree in political science. Having stayed in the United States for her adult life, she returned to the Philippines in 2004 to help her father campaign in his bid for thePhilippine presidency. After he died later that year, Poe remained in the Philippines began pursuing her father's rights over the results of the election and campaigned againstalleged electoral fraud.
Poe ran for a seat in thePhilippine Senate during theelection in 2013 as an independent affiliated with theTeam PNoy coalition ofBenigno Aquino III. She ended up winning more votes than other candidates and over 20 million votes, ahead ofLoren Legarda, who previously topped two elections. She was a candidate for the2016 presidential election. Despite numerous attempts to have her disqualified based on questions regarding her citizenship, theSupreme Court of the Philippines deemed her a natural-born Filipino citizen and she was qualified to become president based on her 10-year residency. Poe placed third in the presidential race count. In May 2019, Poe wasreelected as senator, with over 22 million votes.
Poe was found on September 3, 1968, inIloilo City by a woman,[1][2][3][4] in theholy water font ofJaro Metropolitan Cathedral, the main church of the city.[4]
When the infant was discovered, the parish priest named her "Grace" in the belief that her finding was throughdivine grace;[1] she was christened byJaime Sin, theArchbishop of Jaro, who would later becomeArchbishop of Manila.[5] Although the cathedral issued an announcement in the hopes that her biological mother would claim her,[1] no one stepped forward.
Poe was eventually taken in by the Militar family,[6] with Sayong Militar's in-law Edgardo, who was a signatory on the child's foundling certificate, considered to be her possible father.[5] Her name on her original Certificate of Live Birth was given as Mary Grace Natividad Sonora Militar.[7] Sayong Militar later passed Grace on to her friend Tessie Ledesma Valencia,[3] an unmarried, childless heiress of a sugar baron fromBacolod,Negros Occidental.[6]
Valencia was also a friend of film starsFernando Poe Jr. andSusan Roces, who were newlyweds at the time; Valencia was an acquaintance of Roces and was the one who brought Grace in trips between Bacolod and Manila.[1] The Poes took Grace in after Valencia decided the baby would be better off with two parents in the Philippines rather than with her as a single parent in the United States, where she was moving to.[1][6] Militar was initially hesitant in letting the Poe couple adopt Grace because she was unfamiliar with them, having entrusted the baby to Valencia, but was convinced by Archbishop Sin to let the couple adopt her.[1][3][4]
Poe was legally adopted by the actors Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces and she was named Mary Grace Natividad Sonora Poe by them.[6] While still young, she watched her father from the sets of his movies—even playing minor roles in some of them,[1] such as the daughter ofPaquito Diaz's character inDurugin si Totoy Bato, and as a street child inDugo ng Bayan.[8] Ultimately, Poe did not enter show business.[8][9]
Poe has two adoptive half-siblings through her father. Both of these half-siblings are actors: Ronian, born to actress Ana Marin;[10] andLourdes Virginia (Lovi), born to model Rowena Moran.[11][12] However, she did not grow up with her half-siblings, even admitting that she met Lovi for the first time only after their father died in 2004.[13][14]
In 1975, Poe attended elementary school atSaint Paul College of Pasig andSaint Paul College of Makati. In 1982, Poe transferred toAssumption College San Lorenzo for high school.[8] Following high school, Poe entered theUniversity of the Philippines Manila (UP), where she majored indevelopment studies. She transferred toBoston College, where she graduated with a degree inpolitical science in 1991.[8] She interned forBill Weld's campaign while in college.[15]
In 2003, Poe's father Fernando Jr. announced that he was entering politics,running forpresident of the Philippines in theupcoming election. He ran under theKoalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP), the opposition coalition against PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was seeking reelection. Poe returned to the Philippines to helphim campaign, but returned to the United States afterward.[1]
Fernando Jr. was rushed to the hospital after a stroke later that year.[16] Grace immediately returned to the Philippines, only to arrive shortly after her father had died on December 14, 2004.[1][17] Following her father's death, Poe and her family decided to return permanently to the Philippines on April 8, 2005, to be with her widowed mother.[1][8][18]
In the2010 general election, Poe served as a convenor ofKontra Daya.[8] She also became honorary chairperson of the FPJ for President Movement (FPJPM), the group which was organized to pressure her father to run in 2004, continuing the movement's social relief programs for the less fortunate.[8] On October 10, 2010, PresidentBenigno Aquino III appointed Poe to serve as chairwoman of theMovie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).[8] She was sworn in on October 21, 2010, at theMalacañang Palace and was later reappointed by President Benigno Aquino III for another term on October 23, 2011.[19]
While at the MTRCB, Poe had advocated for a "progressive" agency which would have enabled the television and film industries to help the Philippine economy,[20] with her tenure being marked by an emphasis on diplomacy.[21] At the beginning of her term, Poe instigated the implementation of anew ratings system for television programs,[22] which she said was "designed to empower parents to exercise caution and vigilance with the viewing habits of their children".[23] This was complemented by the implementation of anew ratings system for movies—a system which closely follows the new television ratings system—at the end of her term.[24]
The MTRCB under Poe's tenure also implemented policies and programs to promote "intelligent viewing",[25] such as promulgating the implementing rules and regulations for the Children's Television Act of 1997 some fifteen years after its passage,[26] and enforcing restrictions on the type of viewing material that can be shown on public buses.[27] Despite this thrust, Poe has spoken out against restrictions on freedom of expression,[28] preferring self-regulation to censorship.[8] During this time, she encouraged the creation of new cinematic output through the reduction of review fees despite cuts to its budget,[23][29] and has promoted the welfare of child and female actors.[30][31]
Although Poe was rumored to be running for senator as early as 2010,[32] it was not confirmed that she would stand for election until October 1, 2012, when President Aquino announced that she was selected by the administrationTeam PNoy coalition as a member of their senatorial slate.[33] Poe filed her certificate of candidacy the next day on October 2, 2012.[34] Although running under the banner of the Team PNoy coalition, Poe officially ran as anindependent.[33] Poe was also a guest candidate of the left-leaningMakabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan.[35] Until February 21, 2013,[36] Poe was, along with SenatorsLoren Legarda andFrancis Escudero, one of three common guest candidates of the oppositionUnited Nationalist Alliance (UNA) of Vice-presidentJejomar Binay.[34]
Analysts noted the rapid rise of Poe innational election surveys, which community organizer Harvey Keh attributed to popular sympathy for her father,[37] fueled in part by high public trust in the Poe name.[38] Prior to the start of the election season, Poe was ranked twenty-eighth in a preliminary survey conducted by theSocial Weather Stations (SWS) in mid-2012, before the start of the filing period.[39] Immediately after filing her candidacy, Poe initially ranked fifteenth in the first survey of the election, published by StratPOLLS.[40] While she ranked as low as twentieth in a survey published by SWS later in the year, she entered the top 12 in January 2013,[41] where she stayed. In the last survey issued byPulse Asia in April 2013, she was ranked third.[42]
While Poe herself admitted that her biggest strength in the campaign was her surname, she also conceded that it would be insufficient for her to be elected simply on that alone, emphasizing that her platform is just as important as her name in getting her elected to the Senate.[38] She also dismissed claims that her candidacy was her family's revenge against her father's loss in 2004, saying that all she wants to do is serve should she be elected to the Senate.[37] A day after the election, Poe was announced as among the winners with her having the highest number of votes.[43] She was officially proclaimed a senator by theCOMELEC board in May 2013, along with fellowTeam PNoy candidatesChiz Escudero,Sonny Angara,Alan Peter Cayetano, andLoren Legarda, as wellUnited Nationalist Alliance candidateNancy Binay (who did not attend, opting instead to send her lawyer to represent her).[44]
In the 2013 elections, Poe ran on an eleven-point platform promising to continue the legacy of her father.[45] Her labor legislative agenda also includes more opportunities, skill development and growth for Filipino workers, employment security for the disabled and handicapped, and protection of workers in the informal sector.[46] Specific policies she advocated in the course of her campaign include reviving the national elementary school lunch program first introduced duringMarcos Era,[47] the installation ofclosed-circuit television cameras in government offices,[48] and stricter penalties againstchild pornography,[37] continuing her earlier advocacy during her time at the MTRCB. In addition, she has also advocated against Internet censorship.[38]
Poe also stressed the importance of female participation in government, having already filed a number of laws for the betterment of women and children in her term of office; she has also called for an investigation on the proliferation of cybersex dens that prey on children and women, and an inquiry on the condition of women detainees and prisoners.[38]
On May 13, 2019, Poe was reelected to the Senate with over 22 million votes, coming in second, only behind fellow SenatorCynthia Villar.[49]
On her first day as a senator in the 16th Congress, Poe filed a bill promotingfilm tourism in the Philippines, aiming to make the country a primary shooting location for local and international films. She said that this would generate jobs and promote tourism in the Philippines as well.[50] Poe also filed the "Sustenance for the Filipino child" bill which seeks to give free nutritious meals to children enrolled in public elementary schools and high schools in K-12.[51] It aims to solve hunger and malnutrition which hindered the Filipino youth's potential.
Another notable bill filed by Poe is the "First 1000 days" bill which seeks to protect and support Filipino children in their first 1,000 days after they were born.[52] This addresses the problem of malnutrition of Filipino children by providing nutrition counselling, milk feeding, and other needs of children. In addition, Poe is also pushing for the Freedom of Information bill which will promote greater transparency and lessen corruption in the government. This bill will allow government transactions to be open to the public.[53]
In 2015, Poe led the legislature's investigations into theMamasapano clash, which left 44Special Action Force members dead.[54]
In November 2016, Poe voted in favor of a resolution, filed by senatorRisa Hontiveros, which sought to reject the burial of the late dictatorFerdinand Marcos in theLibingan ng mga Bayani.[55]
In February 2017, she voted in favor of theTax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN Act). After theinflation rate increased due to the law, Poe said that she voted in favor because President Duterte 'needed funds'.[56][55] On the same month, Poe did not support the resolution declaring that the Senate has a say in the termination of any treaty or international agreement.[57][55] On December 13, 2017, she voted in favor of the extension ofmartial law inMindanao.[55]
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On May 17, 2018, Poe was among the senators who voted in favor of a resolution calling on the Supreme Court to review its decision granting the quo warranto petition and ousting Chief JusticeMaria Lourdes Sereno.[55] In June 2018, she voted in favor of a national ID system.[55] In September 2018, Poe announced her bid for re-election in the Senate.[58] On October 15, she filed her certificate of candidacy for senator.[59]
In 2019, after the2018 Philippine third telecommunications provider bidding, Poe chaired the committee which allowed the telecommunication franchise of Mislatel, composed ofChina Telecom and businessman Dennis Uy's Udenna Corp and Chelsea Logistics.[60] The approval was controversial because of the company's connection toChina, Chinese security threats, and its violations to Philippine franchise laws.[61] Despite this, on February 6, Poe gave the green light for the company's endorsement to the plenary.[62]
I am Grace Poe. A Filipino. A daughter, wife and mother. And with God's grace, I offer myself for the country's highest calling as your President.
— Grace Poe's ending remarks of her speech during her announcement last September 16, 2015.[63]
Poe was widely speculated to be a potential presidential or vice presidential candidate in the2016 general elections,[64][65][66][67][68] with possible running mates such as Rep.Leni Robredo[69] and SenatorMiriam Defensor-Santiago.[70][71][72] Poe placed first on a presidential preference poll issued byPulse Asia In June 2015 with a rating of 30%, outranking previous front runner Vice PresidentJejomar Binay, who had a 22% rating.[73][74] She also placed first in the vice-presidential poll, with a 41% preference nationwide.[73][75] In an opinion survey issued bySocial Weather Stations (SWS) in June 2015, Poe also placed first, with a 42% preference.[76] She also placed first in SWS' vice-presidential poll, with a 41% rating.[77]
On September 16, 2015, Poe, together withFrancis Escudero, declared her presidential bid, in front of hundreds of supporters, family and friends at the Bahay ng Alumni,University of the Philippines,Diliman,Quezon City under the newly coalition ofPartido Galing at Puso, composed ofBagong Alyansang Makabayan and is led by theNationalist People's Coalition.[78] Former Philippine President andMayor ofManilaJoseph Estrada has given his support to her.[79] On her speech announcing her presidential bid, Grace Poe laid down a 20-point program of government if she would be elected.[80]
In June 2015,United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) interim president and Navotas RepresentativeToby Tiangco claimed that Poe lacked the 10-year residency requirement for a presidential candidate.[81][82][83] There was an issue about Poe's certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator in 2012 for the2013 Philippine Senate Elections, in which she had stated that she had been a resident of the Philippines for six years and six months.[82] Tiangco stated that even during the time of the 2016 presidential elections, Poe would still be six months short of the residency requirement.[83]
On November 17, 2015, the Senate Electoral Tribunal opted to drop the cases against her.[84] The decision was affirmed on December 3, 2015.[85] In their judgment on the case, the SET declared that Grace Poe, a foundling, is a "natural-born Filipino", which allowed her to retain her seat in thePhilippine Senate.[86][87][88][89][90] David filed a motion for reconsideration to reverse the ruling by SET,[91] which was rejected on December 3, 2015,[85] after which he filed an appeal with theSupreme Court.[92] On December 1, 2015, the COMELEC's second division disqualified her as presidential candidate due to failing to meet the "10-year requirement" for residency.[93] Under COMELEC rules, theparty orcoalition supporting her may file a substitute before December 10, 2015.[94][95] On December 11, the commission's first division also disqualified Poe. The first division, voted 2–1 in favor of the petitions to disqualify and cancel her certificate of candidacy.[96] These decisions were appealed to the COMELECen banc, which on December 23, 2015, formally disqualified Poe from running as president in the 2016 elections for failing to meet the 10-year residency requirement.[97][98] Poe said she would appeal the disqualification to the Supreme Court. On December 28, 2015, the Supreme Court issued two temporary restraining orders against the decision of the COMELECen banc.[99]
On March 8, 2016, voting 9–6, the Supreme Court voted to affirm Poe'natural-born status and 10-year residency.[100][101] On April 9, 2016, the Supreme Court declared their ruling as final and executory.[102]
Poe worked as apreschool teacher at a localMontessori education-style school in 1995. In 1998, she left her job as a teacher to work as a procurement liaison officer at theUnited States Geological Survey.[8] In 2005, she was made vice president and treasurer of her father's film production company, FPJ Productions, and was put in charge of maintaining the company's archive of over 200 films.[8]
Poe is an avid reader:[103] she has read all the books ofDavid Baldacci, whom she describes as her favorite author,[8] but she has also read books from a wide variety of genres and authors.[103] She is also a film aficionado, watching all kinds of movies but with a particular affinity for action films, conspiracy movies, movies starring her father,[8] and movies with happy endings.[104] Poe is atennis player and also has a black belt intaekwondo, having competed in tournaments while in high school.[1]
In March 2016, theSupreme Court affirmed that Poe is anatural-born Filipino.[100][101] On October 18, 2001, Poe acquiredU.S. citizenship bynaturalization.[105] She reacquired herPhilippine citizenship and in October 2010, she renounced her American citizenship, as perRepublic Act 9225.[106] Poe's name appeared in the 2012 2QQuarterly Publication of Individuals Who Have Chosen to Expatriate.[107]
Poe married Teodoro Misael Daniel "Neil" Vera Llamanzares on July 27, 1991.[1] Llamanzares is a natural-born Filipino who held American citizenship since birth until April 2016.[108][109] He is a veteran of theUnited States Air Force who served from 1988 to 1991 and later worked forScience Applications International Corporation.[110] He worked forSan Miguel Corporation after the return of his wife to the Philippines.[111]
On April 16, 1992, Poe gave birth to her son,Brian, a journalist who worked as a reporter forCNN Philippines.[112] She later gave birth to two daughters: Hanna in 1998, and Nika in 2004.[113] Her family lived inFairfax, Virginia, for 12 years.[8]
| Year | Office | Party | Votes received | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | Swing | |||||
| 2013 | Senator of the Philippines | IND | 20,337,327 | 50.66% | 1st | N/a | Won | |
| 2019 | 22,029,788 | 46.58% | 2nd | -4.08 | Won | |||
| 2016 | President of the Philippines | 9,100,991 | 21.39% | 3rd | N/a | Lost | ||
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