So who’s afraid of ‘Da King’?

In his movies, Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ) often plays roles where he’s up against enemies who throw him brickbats. Insults, particularly when uttered in the presence of the actor’s love interest, trigger Poe’s patented rapid-fire punches to the scumbag’s solar plexus. Woe to the human punching bag — Poe always emerges the victor.

The Poe on the silver screen is no different from Poe in the flesh, his friends and associates say.

"With FPJ, what you see is what you get," says Armida Siguion Reyna, a friend of Poe’s and former chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.

Reyna wants the 64-year-old Poe to run for president and she is convinced that the actor will. "99 percent sure," she says. Reyna’s brother, former opposition Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, is reportedly among Poe’s senior advisers.

As early as 2002, friends have been pushing Poe to run in 2004, but the actor has always declined, even with the reported prodding of his buddy, ousted President Joseph Estrada.

Reyna says that statements, mostly from politicians and businessmen, that question Poe’s competence and capabilities only push the actor closer to formally announcing his candidacy and ending the suspense on his plans.

Speculation about Poe’s foray into politics has been hyped up by the media and the actor’s own supporters, eliciting negative reactions from various sectors, including jittery bourses. Former President Fidel Ramos and a number of administration officials and heads of business organizations have said in so many words that Filipinos deserve a better leader — one who is competent and experienced in governance. Deputy Speaker Raul Gonzalez has predicted that a Poe presidency would be a disaster. Five citizens, claiming to support no particular candidate, have launched an e-mail campaign appealing to Poe to stay out of the presidential derby because he is sure to win but not prepared to be president. Text messages ridiculing Poe as a candidate have gone the rounds as well.

All these have not stopped pro-FPJ groups from sprouting in many parts of the country, collecting signatures urging their hero to run. Their petition, backed allegedly by two million signatures, was presented to Poe, who sought to validate the supposed clamor through further consultations before making a decision.

Poe appeared before cheering fans at a jampacked Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City last Oct. 25. It was at this affair, organized by the Filipinos for Peace, Justice and Prosperity Movement (FPJPM), that Poe was supposed to declare his candidacy. His appearance took less than 15 minutes. He shook hands with those near the stage, waved to those he could not reach, and delivered a short message telling them he hoped he could repay their loyalty someday. No categorical word about a leap into the political ring.

But people around him are using his payback message precisely to persuade him to take a crack at the presidency.

Fatherless at 13, Poe, the eldest son of actor Fernando Poe Sr., dropped out of high school to become the family breadwinner. Poe Sr., a topnotch actor in his time, died at 35.

Riding on the popularity of his father, the younger Poe joined the movies when he turned 14. His first movie flopped. He later bounced back with "Lo’ Waist Gang," a box-office hit. Achieving his own popularity, he went on to produce and direct movies, in which he also acted. Poe earned not just adulation but also awards. He has tucked the most number of Famas Awards under his belt. Estrada admits that Poe is the better and more popular actor.

Poe is said to be the complete opposite of typical showbiz personalities. His life is not an open book; he is very private, conservative — and very macho.

Interviews with Poe are rare and often limited to his work. His wife, actress Susan Roces, values her family’s privacy no end — the reason she is reportedly against her husband’s anticipated foray into politics. Sen. Vicente Sotto III, the actor’s spokesman, says Roces thinks politics is dirty.

Still, his popularity, plus the fact that Poe’s name remains untainted by corruption and controversy despite his closeness to Estrada, are crucial elements in packaging the actor as the alternative — the antithesis — to politicians running in 2004. Filipinos are sick and tired of politicians because they have brought the country to ruins, says Reyna.

Poe has been consistently among the top five preferred presidential candidates. He has the highest survey ratings among the opposition’s potential standard-bearers.

Sen. Edgardo Angara, president of Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), says he supports Poe as a possible candidate in the same way that he supports all opposition presidential hopefuls willing to submit to the party’s selection process. The LDP has invited Poe to join their process for choosing their standard-bearer. The LDP has to select its candidate by Nov. 15, Angara says.

The LDP chief says that Filipinos are looking for a new face, one who is honest and trustworthy, and has a clean image, charisma, integrity, and leadership. These qualities, he says, give Poe an edge over other opposition presidential aspirants like Senators Panfilo Lacson, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and Gregorio Honasan.

What about concerns regarding Poe’s lack of experience in governance? These, Angara says, can be addressed by appointing well-educated and competent Cabinet members.