In a keynote address last Thursday Brian Poe-Llamanzares, Chief of Staff of Senator Grace Poe, shared his family’s journey in Philippine politics from the ill-fated presidential run of the late Fernando Poe Jr. to Sen. Grace Poe’s second term as senator with the members of the Rotary Club of Makati West.
Poe-Llamanzares began the narrative with the story of ‘Da King’ who came from nothing, entered the showbiz industry as a stuntman, and eventually worked his way to becoming the box office king. Poe-Llamanzares also shared that his grandfather never had any political ambitions but agreed to run in 2004 as a way to repay the love Filipinos had shown him through the years. “More than any other profession, my grandfather’s career as an actor relies solely on the love of the people. That’s why in 2004, my grandfather agreed to run for the presidency,” he added.
After the controversy of the 2004 elections Poe-Llamanzares explained that his mother participated in protests that advocate for transparency and poverty alleviation while she worked as an executive in FPJ studios to preserve the legacy of her father. He went on to reveal in 2007 Senator Poe had turned down an opportunity to run with the opposition believing she was not yet ready. He explained that it was only in 2010 when his mother was given a chance to shine as a public servant serving as Chairwoman of the MTRCB.
As it would turn out Poe-Llamanzares became the campaign coordinator in his mom’s 2013 senatorial bid where Sen. Poe started at the 26th spot in the surveys. The campaign team was just hoping not to land the 11th or 12th place but were floored when Sen. Poe ranked first with 20 million votes, the largest number of votes in Philippine history. Grace in defeat Poe-Llamanzares then recounted the 2016 elections and explained that his mother had agreed to run, “believing that as a young independent with no political baggage, she would be able to dedicate herself to the people completely and become the first independent president in our nation’s history.”
But fate had other plans. She may not have become the first independent president, but she won a more important victory for foundlings and adopted children. With Sen. Poe’s citizenship brought into question and used as ammunition against her in the 2016 presidential race, the senator used this propaganda to open up the conversation on the current state of foundling in the country.
“I remember one afternoon we were sitting in the lanai and I asked her if she regretted any of it. However, she said that maybe her destiny wasn’t to become president but rather to win another victory for adopted children all over the country,” he said.
The veteran senator now on her second term as senator, Brian shared that his mother’s re-election meant so much more because he believed that the Filipino people voted for her based on her performance as a senator.
True to her campaign promises, the neophyte senator shepherded the passage of the National Feeding Program, the First 1000 Days Bill that provides a comprehensive nutrition and health gram for pregnant women and their newborn children in every barangay, and the People’s Freedom of Information Act to increase government transparency and accountability.
Poe-Llamanzares went on to explain that the now-veteran Senator Poe has passed bills in response to the pandemic such as Bayanihan 1 and 2. She also passed the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer Act which aims to free up capital for loans for small to medium enterprises. Senator Poe also strengthened the Anti-Money Laundering Act and continues to fight for the Better Internet Bill and improve the Public Service Act.
In closing Poe-Llamanzares gave his perspective of his mother’s decade in public service by saying, “Where others saw ambition, I saw humility. Where others saw talk, I saw action. Where others see her independence as fence sitting, I see it as true statesmanship,” He added that if anything. He believes that senator Poe did right by her constituency delivering on her promises which ranged from feeding programs to anti-corruption and economic progress.
Poe-Llamanzares currently serves as the Chief of Staff of Sen. Poe and the Chairman of the Panday Bayanihan Foundation.