FPJ plans known Nov. 7-15

Action star Fernando Poe Jr. will announce between Nov. 7 and 15 whether he will run for president next year, Sen. Vicente Sotto III said yesterday.

"He was getting an update from me and told me he was weighing his options," Sotto told The STAR in a telephone interview.

"But he assured me he will make his final decision between Nov. 7 and 15. He was upbeat due to the warm support shown by the people for his possible candidacy as president next year, especially during the celebration of the first founding anniversary of the FPJ for President Movement in Cuneta Astrodome last week," he said.

"He told me that he was able to see and feel that there is indeed support from the private sector," Sotto said.

However, Poe told reporters at the EDSA Shangri-La Plaza Hotel in Mandaluyong City after having lunch with Sotto yesterday that he was still undecided if he would take part in next year’s presidential derby.

"Hindi ko pa masasabi ’yan, hindi pa natin alam ’yan (I cannot make an announcement yet, I don’t know yet)," he said.

Sotto said Poe is set to meet next week with lawyers in Makati City, doctors in Cebu City and a group of retired generals.

"I expect him to be able to come up with a decision between Nov. 7 and 15," he said.

Poe will consult the lawyers about his possible candidacy for president, he added.

Sotto said the US-based sisters of Poe will support their brother if he decides to join the race for president next year.

"If there is one who is highly upbeat by the show of support received by Poe in the Cuneta Astrodome event, it was the sisters in the US," he said.

"(It) brought tears (to) their eyes when they saw the people who attended the Astrodome celebration of the FPJPM, shouting ‘FPJ for president.’ They were upbeat by the outpouring of support for FPJ. That they don’t need to spend money for the campaign because FPJ’s supporters have their funding," he said.

Sotto said Poe’s sisters, on a scale of 0 -10, are 6 in support if ever he decides to run for the country’s highest post.

"They opposed the possible entry into politics of FPJ because they are apprehensive that their brother will just be subjected to intrigues because they believe that politics in the country is indeed the dirtiest profession," he said.

"But when they saw the outpouring of support (at) the Astrodome, they suddenly changed their minds."

Earlier, the Freedom, Peace and Justice (FPJ) movement had reportedly presented Poe with two million signatures urging him to run. — With reports from Paolo Romero