There is no question that one way to attract people to vote for a particular candidate, is to have a big star to endorse him. In next year’s Philippine election, candidates have started to bring in some star power to their campaign.
Of course, there are those who are already in show business—like Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos, who is the Star for All Seasons, and mother to actor/host Luis Manzano, and the former wife of actor Edu Manzano (who is also running for senator).
In the presidential race, the Liberal Party’s candidate Mar Roxas, got the endorsement of one of the hottest love teams today—Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo—who are currently the main stars of ABS-CBN’s remake of Pangako Sa ‘Yo.
The young stars’ endorsement is seen as a move to attract the youth, but has gotten some criticisms from their fans. Netizens were dismayed by their choice of candidate, while others feel that their endorsement may have little impact since majority of their fans are not yet voters.
The biggest criticism is that the stars (or their management team) probably could not resist the huge endorsement fee offered by the Roxas camp.
Another candidate who has big stars behind her is Grace Poe. Poe’s ties to the Philippine entertainment industry is strong, being the daughter of showbiz legends Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces. She also has the support of big names like Superstar Nora Aunor and veteran actor Eddie Garcia. However, the Commission on Elections recently disqualified her candidacy for failing to prove her residency requirements, as well her being a natural born Filipino.
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Congratulations to Popoy and Basha, or should I say John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo, for another box office hit! Their latest movie, A Second Chance (which is the sequel to their other hit, One More Chance), earned P43.3 million in its opening day last November 25. By November 29, the Star Cinema offering hit P200 million after its first screenings.
Currently, the film already holds the record of being the highest grossing non-Metro Manila Film Festival Filipino movie on its opening day.
Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina, A Second Chance revisits the lives of Popoy and Basha, as they go through the highs and lows of married life.