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Philippine female senator declares plan of running for president

Xinhua, September 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

A Philippine lady senator declared Wednesday night her intention to run as president in the May 2016 elections.

Senator Grace Poe, 47, made her announcement in front of her family and supporters in state-run University of the Philippines in Quezon City, Metro Manila.

Poe said as a Filipino, daughter, wife and mother, she is offering herself to fully serve the Filipinos as their president.

The senator will be running as an independent candidate as she never belongs to any political party.

Poe, an adopted daughter of late famous actor in the Philippines Fernando Poe Jr. who ran as president and lost to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2004, has been leading in the recent presidential surveys.

Her decision to join in the presidential race was tantamount to rejecting the offer of President Benigno S. Aquino III to be the running mate of former secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government Manuel Roxas II, the presidential bet of the ruling Liberal Party.

Poe is the third person who has declared the intention of running in the presidential polls next year. The first two are Jejomar Binay, the current president, and Manuel Roxas II.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the Aquino administration wishes Poe all the best. Endi