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Mary Grace Poe Llamanzares (born Mary Grace Sonora Poe on September 3, 1968) is

a Filipino philantrophist, educator, businesswoman, and politician. She held office in the Senate of

the Philippines and preiousl! sered as chairperson of the "#$%& ("oie and #eleision $eiew

and %lassification &oard) from '1 to '1'. n '13, she won the top place in the Senate elections

with oer ' million otes, ahead of *oren *e+arda, who preiousl! topped two elections.

Poe was abandoned at birth in loilo and was later adopted b! ational -rtist and actor Fernando

Poe, r. and his wife actress Susan $oces. She initiall! studied at the /niersit! of the Philippines

"anila, where she ma0ored in deelopment studies, but moed to&oston %olle+e in "assachussetts,

/nited States where she finished a de+ree in political science. She spent much of her adult life

inFairfa, 2ir+inia, /nited States, where she wored as a teacher in preschool.

She returned to the Philippines after learnin+ that her father had died. 4er father had preiousl! ran

in a disputed presidential election won b! 5loria "acapa+al-rro!o in '7. Followin+ her his death,

Poe permanentl! resided in the Philippines. She be+an to pursue her fathers ri+hts oer the resultsof the '7 election and to campai+n a+ainst electoral fraud. n '1, she was appointed b!

Philippine President &eni+no -uino  to be the chair of the "#$%&, where she adocated for :a

pro+ressie a+enda that would promote a culture of intelli+ent media iewership:, while at the same

time supportin+ the further deelopment of the countr!s cinemaand teleision industries.

Poe launched her candidac! for a seat in the Philippine Senate in '1', runnin+ in the '13

senatorial election as an ndependent affiliated with the #eam Po! coalition of -uino. -lthou+h

initiall! farin+ poorl! at the start, she won more otes than an! of the other candidates. ;n

September 16, '1<, Poe declared her '16 presidential election candidac! for President, in front of 

the &aha! n+ -lumni, /niersit! of the Philippines, =iliman, >ue?on %it!.

Contents

  @hideA 

• 1Barl! life

• '"#$%& %hair 

• 3Senate

o 3.1Platform

• 7Presidential bid

o 7.1$esidenc!

• <Personal life

• 6$eferences

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• CBternal lins

Early life@editA

Main article: Child abandonment 

"ar! 5race Poe was found on September 3, 1968 in loilo %it!. 4er biolo+ical parents are unnown

and she was found abandoned as a bab! b! a woman, @'A@3A@7A@<A alle+edl! in the hol! water font of aro

"etropolitan %athedral, the main church of the cit!.@<A Dhen the infant was discoered, the parish

priest named her :5race: in the belief that her findin+ was throu+h the +race of 5odE@7A she was

christened b! aime Sin, the -rchbishop of aro and later -rchbishop of "anila.@6A -lthou+h the

cathedral issued an announcement in the hopes that her biolo+ical mother would claim her,@7A no one

stepped forward. Poe was taen in b! the "ilitar famil!,@CA with Sa!on+ "ilitars inlaw Bd+ardo, who

is a si+nator! on the childs foundlin+ certificate, considered as the foundlin+s possible father.

@6A Sa!on+ "ilitar later passed 5race on to her friend #essie *edesma 2alencia,@3A an unmarried,

childless heiress of a wealth! su+ar baron from &acolod, e+ros ;ccidental.@CA

2alencia was also friends with film stars Fernando Poe, r. and Susan $oces (real name esusa

Sonora), who were newl!weds at the timeE 2alencia was a bi+ fan of $oces, and the former would

brin+ 5race on freuent trips between &acolod and "anila.@7A #he Poes too 5race in after 2alencia

decided the bab! would be better off with two parents in the Philippines, than with her as a sin+le

parent in the /nited States, where she was moin+ to.@7A@CA "ilitar was initiall! hesitant in lettin+ Poe,

r. and $oces adopt 5race because she was not familiar with them, hain+ entrusted the bab! to

2alencia, but was coninced b! -rchbishop Sin to let the couple adopt her .@<A $oces was born to a

French-merican mother of ewish descent@3A and a Filipino father of Spanish and %hinese descent.

$ocGs is a member of one of the PhilippinesH bi++est clans, the *ocsin famil! of e+ros ;ccidental,

whose forebear Do Sin *o, a peddler from -mo!, had himself baptised into the %atholic %hurch as

 -+ustIn *ocsin and married %ecilia Sa!son of "olo.@7A

Poe was later le+all! adopted b! the couple after further efforts to search for her biolo+ical parents

failed,@CA and she attended elementar! school at Saint Paul %olle+e of Pasi+and Saint Paul %olle+e of 

"aati.@8A

%ontroers! surrounds the identit! of her birth parents, with a persistent urban le+end statin+ Poe to

be the dau+hter of former President Ferdinand "arcos, alle+edl! as Mary Grace Sonora Marcos,

@9A

 from an affair with $osemarie Sonora, $oces sister and a former moie star.@1A

Poe +rew up in the shadow of her parents, with her father starrin+ in seeral action films throu+hout

the 19Cs, and her mother also bein+ re+arded as an accomplished actress in her own ri+ht. @11A She

+rew up watchin+ her father from the sets of his moiesJeen pla!in+ minor roles in some of them,

@7A such as the dau+hter of Pauito =ia?s character inDurugin si Totoy Bato (:%rush #oto! &ato:), and

as a street child in Dugo ng Bayan (:&lood of the ation:).@1'A@13A -lthou+h she contemplated becomin+

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an actress throu+hout her childhood, her father wished that she finish her studies first before

enterin+ the entertainment industr!.@1'A /ltimatel!, Poe did not enter show business in an interiew

with People Asia, she recalls that :Ben if aspired to be in showbi?, felt ph!sicall! (inadeuate)

bein+ compared to @m! parentsA.:@13A@17A

n 198', Poe transferred to -ssumption %olle+e San *oren?o for hi+h school, where she competed

in a number of oratorical contests and was captain of the schools debatin+ team in her senior !ear.

@13A &! the time she +raduated from -ssumption in 1986, she decided instead to pursue public serice

in order to set a different career path for herself, as well as to aoid bein+ compared to her parents.

@1'A

Followin+ hi+h school, Poe entered the /niersit! of the Philippines "anila (/P), where she ma0ored

in deelopment studies. Dhile at /P, she sered in the student council as a class representatie for

the two !ears she was there. She later decided to continue her under+raduate studies abroad both

to eperience and proe her independence,@8A and as a form of silent rebellion in order to aoid the

possibilit! of shamin+ her parents. @1'A

She transferred to &oston %olle+e, where she +raduated with a de+ree in political science in 1991.

Dhile at &oston %olle+e, she cofounded the schools Filipino %ultural %lub and sered as an intern

for the campai+n of Dilliam Deld in the 199 "assachusetts +ubernatorial election.@13A

 -fter +raduatin+, Poe continued to reside in the /nited States, liin+ a uiet life with her famil!

in Fairfa, 2ir+inia. n 199<, she was hired b! the "ontessori School of %edar *ane, a local school

where she wored for three !ears as a preschool teacher. She then sered as a procurement liaison

with the /nited States 5eolo+ical Sure! in 1998, where she wored for a !ear. n '1, she was

hired as a product mana+er with %S% Scientific, a local compan! speciali?in+ in the production of

scientific euipment, where she sta!ed until '7. @13A

n '3, Fernando Poe, r. announced that he was enterin+ politics, runnin+ for President of the

Philippines in the upcomin+ election under the Koalis!on n+ a+aaisan+ Pilipino (KP) a+ainst

thenPresident 5loria "acapa+al-rro!o. Poe returned to the Philippines to help him campai+n, but

returned to the /nited States afterward.@7A 4oweer, as Fernando Poe, r. was rushed to the hospital

after a stroe later that !ear,@1<A she immediatel! returned to the Philippines, onl! to arrie after her

father died on =ecember 17, '7. @7A@16A

Followin+ her fathers death, Poe and her famil! decided to permanentl! return to the Philippines inorder to be with her widowed mother.@7A@13A n '<, she was made 2ice President and #reasurer of her 

fathers film production compan!, FP Productions, and was put in char+e of maintainin+ the

compan!s archie of oer ' films,@13A reportedl! one of the best in the Philippines in terms of the

number of films presered.@1'A -t the same time, she be+an +ettin+ inoled in politics herself,

particularl! after alle+ations arose that her fathers loss was caused b! electoral fraud committed b!

the -rro!o administration. n the '1 +eneral election, Poe sered as a conenor of Kontra =a!a,

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@13A a poll watchdo+ or+ani?ed to preent electoral fraud, and spoe publicl! about wantin+ to preent

further cheatin+ in the elections lie the wa! her father was alle+edl! cheated in '7.@1CA She also

became honorar! chairperson of the FP for President "oement (FPP"), the +roup which was

or+ani?ed to pressure her father to run in '7, continuin+ the moements social relief pro+rams for

the less fortunate.@13A

MTRCB Chair@editA

5race Poe at a Senate bud+et hearin+ in September '1', presentin+ the "#$%&s proposed bud+et for

'13.

;n ;ctober 1, '1, President &eni+no -uino  appointed Poe to sere as chairwoman of

the "oie and #eleision $eiew and %lassification &oard ("#$%&), succeedin+ out+oin+

chairwoman "a. %onsoli?a *a+uardia, @18A who was appointed to the position in '3. #he

appointment came as a surprise to Poe, hain+ learned of her appointment while acationin+ with

her mother in %alifornia onl! two da!s before the formal announcement was made. @13A She was sworn

in on ;ctober '1, '1 at the "alacaLan+ Palace, and was later reappointed b! President -uino

for another term on ;ctober '3, '11.@19A She continued to sere until ;ctober ', '1', when she filedher candidac! for senator.

Dhile at the "#$%&, Poe had adocated for a :pro+ressie: a+enc! which would hae enabled the

teleision and film industries to help the Philippine econom!,@'A with her tenure bein+ mared b! an

emphasis on diplomac!.@'1A -t the be+innin+ of her term, Poe insti+ated the implementation of a new

ratin+s s!stem for teleision pro+rams,@''A which she said was :desi+ned to empower parents to

eercise caution and i+ilance with the iewin+ habits of their children:. @'3A #his was complemented b!

the implementation of a new ratin+s s!stem for moiesJa s!stem which hews closel! to the new

teleision ratin+s s!stemJat the end of her term. @'7A #he "#$%& under Poes tenure also

implemented policies and pro+rams to promote :intelli+ent iewin+:, @'<A such as promul+atin+ the

implementin+ rules and re+ulations for the %hildrens #eleision -ct of 199C some fifteen !ears after

its passa+e,@'6A and enforcin+ restrictions on the t!pe of iewin+ material that can be shown on public

buses.@'CA=espite this thrust, Poe has spoen out a+ainst restrictions on freedom of epression,

@'8A preferrin+ selfre+ulation to censorship. @13A

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#he "#$%& under Poes tenure has also encoura+ed the creation of new cinematic output throu+h

the reduction of reiew fees despite cuts to its bud+et,@'3A@'9A and has promoted the welfare of child and

female actors.@3A@31A

Senate@editA

 -lthou+h Poe was rumored to be runnin+ for an electie position as earl! as '1,@3'A it was not

confirmed that she would stand for election until ;ctober 1, '1', when President -uino

announced that she was selected b! the administration #eam Po! coalition as a member of their

senatorial slate.@33A Poe filed her certificate of candidac! the net da! on ;ctober ', '1'.@37A  -lthou+h

runnin+ under the banner of the #eam Po! coalition, Poe is officiall! runnin+ as an independent.

@33A Poe is also a +uest candidate of the leftleanin+ "aaba!an+ Koalis!on n+ "amama!an.@3<A /ntil

Februar! '1, '13,@36A Poe was, alon+ with Senators *oren *e+arda and Francis Bscudero, one of

three common +uest candidates of the opposition /nited ationalist -lliance (/-) of 2ice

President e0omar &ina!.@37A

 -nal!sts hae noted the rapid rise of Poe in national election sure!s, which communit! or+ani?er

4are! Keh attributed to popular s!mpath! for her father ,@3CA fueled in part b! hi+h public trust in the

Poe name.@38A Prior to the start of the election season, Poe was raned twent!ei+hth in a preliminar!

sure! conducted b! the Social Deather Stations(SDS) in mid'1', before the start of the filin+

period.@39A mmediatel! after filin+ her candidac!, Poe initiall! raned fifteenth in the first sure! of the

election, published b! StratP;**S.@7A Dhile she has raned as low as twentieth in a sure!

published b! SDS later in the !ear, she entered the top 1' in anuar! '13, @71A where she has sta!ed

since then. n the last sure! issued b! Pulse -sia in -pril, she was raned third.@7'A

Dhile Poe herself has admitted that her bi++est stren+th in the campai+n is her surname, she has

also conceded that it would be insufficient for her to be elected simpl! on that alone, emphasi?in+

that her platform is 0ust as important as her name in +ettin+ her elected to the Senate. @38A She has

also dismissed claims that her candidac! is her famil!s reen+e a+ainst her fathers loss in '7,

sa!in+ that all she wants to do is sere should she be elected to the Senate.@3CA

 - da! after the election, Poe became a senatorelect when the results from the P%;S machines

emer+ed.@73A She was officiall! proclaimed a senator b! the %;"B*B% board on "a! '13, alon+

with fellow #eam Po! candidates %hi? Bscudero, Sonn! -n+ara,  -lan Peter %a!etano, and *oren

*e+arda, as well /nited ationalist -lliance candidate anc! &ina! (who did not attend, optin+instead to send her law!er to represent her).@77A

n '1<, she led the le+islatures inesti+ations into the "amasapano clash, which left 77 securit!

force members dead.@7<A

Platform@editA

Further information: Team PNoy  and  Partido ng Galing at Puso

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n the '13 elections, Poe ran on an eleenpoint platform focused on poert! alleiation, !outh

opportunit! and electoral reform,@76A promisin+ to continue the le+ac! of her father.@'<A

4er labor le+islatie a+enda also includes more opportunities, sill deelopment and +rowth for

Filipino worers, emplo!ment securit! for the disabled and handicapped, and protection of worers

in the informal sector.@7CA

Specific policies she adocated in the course of her campai+n include reiin+ the national

elementar! school lunch pro+ram first introduced durin+ "arcos Bra,@78A the installation of  closed

circuit teleision cameras in +oernment offices,@79A and stricter penalties a+ainst child porno+raph!,

@3CA continuin+ her earlier adocac! durin+ her time at the "#$%&. n addition, she has also

adocated a+ainst nternet censorship. @38A

Poe also stresses the importance of female participation in +oernment, hain+ alread! filed a

number of le+islations for the betterment of women and children in her term of officeE she has also

called for an inesti+ation on the proliferation of c!berse dens that pre! on children and women,and an inuir! on the condition of women detainees and prisoners.

:Bffectie leadership can be +leaned not 0ust from the pro+ress of a few but the adancement of the

ma0orit!, especiall! of those who find themseles in the frin+es,: Poe said durin+ a speech deliered

at the Philippine nternational %onention %enter (P%%) on "a! '8, '1<. #his was attended mostl!

b! female leaders and entrepreneurs. :t is important for women to hae +enuine meanin+ful

participation in public affairs. Domen leaders hae an inaluable tae on issues of public interest.: @<A

5race Poe is a+ainst samese marria+e.@<1A

Presidential bid@editA

Main article: Grace Poe presidential campaign !"#$ 

“ am 5race Poe. - Filipino. - dau+hter, wife and mother. -nd w

% Grace Poe&s ending remar's of her speech during her announcement last (eptember #$ !"#)* @<'A

She is widel! speculated to be a potential presidential or ice presidential candidate in the '16

+eneral elections (and thus seen as the closest competitor to 2ice Presidente0omar &ina!s own

presidential aspirations)@<3A@<7A@<<A@<6A@<CA with possible runnin+ mates such as $ep. *eni $obredo@<8A and

Senator "iriam =efensorSantia+o.@<9A@6A@61A

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Poe placed first on a presidential preference poll issued b! Pulse -sia n une '1< with a ratin+ of

3M, outranin+ preious front runner 2ice President e0omar &ina!, who had a ''M ratin+.@6'A@63A She

also placed first in the icepresidential poll, with a 71M preference nationwide. @6'A@67A

n anew opinion sure! issued b! Social Deather Stations (SDS) in une '1<, Poe also placed

first, with a 7'M preference.@6<A She also placed first in SDS icepresidential poll, with a 71M ratin+.

@66A

;n September 16, '1<, Poe finall! declared her presidential bid, in front of hundreds of supporters,

famil! and friends at the &aha! n+ -lumni, /niersit! of the Philippines, =iliman, >ue?on %it!. ;n

September 1C, '1<, Senator %hi? Bscudero declared he will be the runnin+ mate of Poe, decided

to run for the position of 2ice President under the newl! coalition of Partido Pilipinas.

n a decision b! the %omelecs second diision issued on =ecember 1, '1<, Poe was disualified

as candidate in the '16 presidential elections due to failin+ to meet the 1!ear standard

reuirement for residenc!.@6CA

 /nder %omelec rules, the part! or coalition supportin+ her ma! file asubstitute before =ecember 1, '1<.@68A

Residency@editA

Main article: Da+id +* Poe

n une '1<, /nited ations -lliance (/-) interim president and aotas %it!

$epresentatie #ob! #ian+co claimed that Poe lacs the 1!ear residenc! reuirement for a

presidential candidate. Poe had preiousl! been worin+ in the /nited States after finishin+ her

+raduate studies there, and onl! returned to the Philippines after her fathers death in '7. She

then reoed her /S citi?enship to assume the role of chairperson of the "#$%& in '1. @69A@CA@C1A

#he controers! arose due to Poes certificate of candidac! (%;%) for senator in '1' for the

'13 Philippine Senate Blections, in which she had stated that she had been a resident of the

Philippines for si !ears and si months. t was ar+ued that it mi+ht hae been a mistae, but -tt!.

$a!mond Fortun ar+ued that she had to proe it otherwise. @CA#ian+co stated that een durin+ the

time of the '16 Presidential Blections, Poe would still be si months short of the residenc!

reuirement.@C1A

;n oember 1C, '1< the Senate Blectoral #ribunal opted to drop the cases a+ainst her impl!in+

that she is a naturalborn Filipino and is ualified to become president, with her political rials &am

 -uino and Pia %a!etano, as well as her political allies *oren *e+arda, #ito Sotto, and %!nthia 2illar,

otin+ in her faor.@C'A

Personal life@editA

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5race Poe*laman?ares and her famil! posin+ with President &eni+no -uino  at her oathtain+ as "#$%&

chairwoman in '1.

Poe has two adoptie halfsiblin+s throu+h her father Fernando Poe r. $onian, born to actress -na

"arinE@C3A and *ourdes 2ir+inia(*oi), born to model $owena "oran. @C7A@C<A -lthou+h she did not +row up

with her halfsiblin+s, een admittin+ that she met *oi for the first time onl! after their father died,

@C6A she has nown of them while +rowin+ up, and the! respect each other despite not bein+ close to

one another .@CCA

Poe is as an aid reader@C8A she has read all the boos of  =aid &aldacci, who she describes as her

faorite author ,@13A but she has also read boos from a wide ariet! of +enres and authors.@C8A She is

also an aid film aficionado, watchin+ all inds of moies but with a particular affinit! for action films,

conspirac! moies, moies starrin+ her father,@13A and moies with happ! endin+s.@C9A Poe is a tennis

pla!er and also has a blac belt in taewondo,@8A hain+ competed in tournaments while in hi+h

school.@7A

Poe met #eodoro "isael :eil: *laman?ares n her senior !ear of hi+h school. @7A #he two starteddatin+ thereafter, and married fie !ears later on ul! 'C, 1991, immediatel! after Poe +raduated

from &oston %olle+e at the a+e of ''.@8A #he marria+e went a+ainst the wishes of her father, who

wanted her to hae a career first before marr!in+.@1'A Poe +ae birth to her onl! son, &rian, who

wored as a reporter for  % Philippines,@8A on -pril 16, 199', and later +ae birth to two dau+hters

4anna in 1998, and ia in '7. @8A@81A