I first met Brian Poe in Bohol during the Habitat for Humanity event in May last year. I found him a mild-mannered and unassuming young man. His parents, Senator Grace Poe and Teodoro Llamanzares, had raised him well.
Since his mom is the woman of the hour, I thought of interviewing him about issues hounding his mother.
Heres my tête-à-tête with Brian:
What do you think of your mom’s detractors?
I don’t really think much of them. They have nothing they can use against my mom. They’re throwing mud against the wall to see what sticks.
First of all the whole “foundling” argument is cruel. An attack on my mom is an attack on all adopted children and orphans. What is this, grade school, where you call a child “adopted” and act as if he or she is suddenly less of a person?
Then there’s the issue on residency, and I can’t help but feel so frustrated about this. Many OFWS who sacrifice so much to take care of their families here in the Philippines are dual citizens. Many even have to give up their Filipino citizenship. My mom became a dual citizen for a time, but came back home and reacquired her natural-born status.
My mom has helped fight for the Filipino people and the betterment of this country since day one.
Brian Poe says his mom Grace raised him and his siblings well.
What scares or excites you about the possibility of being a presidential son?
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. My mom hasn’t made a decision yet. If it truly is her destiny and God willing she becomes the next president, that’s a different story.
Of course the criticism and the scrutiny scare me. I’m scared because I’ve had a taste of what it’s like to be bashed by critics… but what excites me about the possibility of being a member of the presidential family is being able to use my exposure and influence to help the less fortunate. I would be so happy if I had the opportunity to travel throughout the country and help people in whatever way possible. Being a member of the first family is a huge responsibility.
What don’t people know about Grace Poe?
That she is the best mother anyone could ask for. Not only is she an amazing senator; she’s such an amazing mom. Many people know the public side of my mom but what they don’t know is how well she raised me and my sisters. When we lived abroad she would cook every meal, drive us to and from school, clean the house, and still manage to have a job.
In what ways are you similar to your mom? What are your differences?
We are alike in the sense that we have a burning passion for public service. My mom learned that passion from her father, and I learned it from my mother. So it comes as no surprise that we both studied political science and both joined the debate team in school. I look up to my mom and I do my best to emulate all the good things I see in her.
On the other hand, we have different tastes in books. She likes fiction novels while I like history books. I like cars while she couldn’t care less about what car she rides.
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