Sen. Grace: Undecided about running for veep…as of now

Despite the clamor for her to run for vice president in the 2016 national elections, Sen. Grace Poe has remained “undecided” as of now.

“As I’ve said all along,” Grace told Funfare during the recent birthday dinner for TV executive Malou Choa-Fagar at Mother Lily Monteverde’s events place on Valencia St., Quezon City, “I have no plans of running for a higher office as of now. If anyone has the chance to serve the country in a higher capacity, why wouldn’t he/she consider it?”

Those encouraging Grace to run, and who are convinced that she’s winnable, have been telling her that since she has one foot in politics, she might as well put the other foot in. The Poe Magic admittedly helped Grace top the senatorial race last year (and it would surely continue to be a big factor in her career) but so far she has amply proven her mettle and been making a name of her own. But still, with prospects in her favor, Grace is biding her time, carefully weighing the pros and cons.

“One must want to do it not for the sake of just winning,” continued Grace but because she believes that she is ready for it, and she can truly make a difference. “Running the country is one of the hardest jobs I can think of. You can succeed on much ground but you will always be deemed lacking in others. Half of the country will love you, the other half will hate you. It’s not for the unprepared or the weak of heart.”

On a lighter note, Grace said that she’s behind her son Brian’s joining showbiz. An Ateneo graduate, Brian is in the cast of Filemon Mamon, an advocacy indie that promotes health as well as the life and heroism of Andres Bonifacio. The producer, Mega Vision (headed by businesswoman Donna Sanchez), has scheduled campus screenings “to inspire the youth.”

“I support Brian in anything he wants to pursue as a career,” assured Grace, “as long as I know it will make him happy and it’s something that he can be proud of. Of course, I’m elated that he wants to go into showbiz because this is the industry I grew up with. Brian has proven that whatever he puts his mind to, he can achieve. If things don’t happen sooner than later, he can always branch out to other things that appeal to him, such as broadcast journalism.”

Incidentally, asked if she knew that Brian’s girlfriend Myrtle Sarrosa (winner of Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition 4) was on the cover of a recent issue of FHM, Grace smiled.

“Yes, I knew. She told me before it came out, ‘Tita, I will be on the cover of FHM.’ You know, iba na ang generation ngayon. I told her, ‘Okey lang ‘yon basta huwag lang naked’.”

Pictured below is Grace and some of Malou’s well-wishers.

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