SUSAN ROCES TO START CAMPAIGNING FOR POE

Veteran actress Susan Roces, the popular mother of leading presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe, will be more visible on the campaign trail as she sets out to bring her daughter's platform of government to more Filipinos.

Poe, who is running as an independent, said her mother's support will help her reach more Filipinos despite the absence of political machinery that other presidential candidates enjoy.

"Noong 2013, malaki ang naitulong ng aking nanay. Ako naman ay naniniwala rin sa kredibilidad niya," Poe said of her adoptive mother, who she said was her top campaign contributor when she ran for the Senate in 2013.

Poe, who was also an independent when she ran for senator, made history by garnering more than 20 million votes, the highest ever received by a candidate for any national post. She is the first foundling to run for president.

Poe said she is grateful and proud to have her mother bringing the message of "Gobyernong may Puso" all over the country.

Roces, 74, is recognized as the "Queen of Philippine Movies." She is currently known and loved for her role as "Lola Kap" in the primetime teleserye "Ang Probinsiyano."

"Nakita naman ng ating mga kababayan na hindi naman siya nagpabaya sa kanyang personal na buhay pati na rin ang kanyang karera sa pelikula. Siya ay naging isang responsableng mamamayan at isang mapagmahal na nanay. Kaya I'm very proud to have my mom with me," Poe said.

The feisty Roces, who has remained private despite being in the limelight for five decades, had also campaigned for her late husband, Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ), during the 2004 presidential elections. FPJ, then the most popular candidate, lost in the elections, which were marred by massive cheating, and Roces had since rallied against electoral fraud.

"Actually, 'yung mom ko talagang looking forward to visiting many places. Meron na kaming mga lugar na na-identify na mapupuntahan niya, katulad ng Bacolod kung saan siya nanggaling. Ang aking ama naman taga-Pangasinan, pupunta rin siya doon," Poe said.

For the first time since her daughter launched her campaign, Roces, who had taken a break from taping for her TV series, joined Poe in her sortie. They were in Iloilo with Poe's running mate, Sen. Francis Escudero and the senatorial candidates running under their coalition, "Partido Galing at Puso."

"Malapit sa amin ang Iloilo, hindi lamang dito siya (Grace) natagpuan; ang aking mga ninuno ay mula sa Molo, Iloilo, iyong linya ng mga Locsin sa side ng father," Roces told reporters covering Poe's campaign.

"As much as I can, I want to participate kasi bilang senior citizen, may adbokasiya din kami," she said.