General Admission
Poe and Day: Stories of destiny
By Al S. Mendoza
GRACE Poe and Jason Day are worth watching.
The two have had dramatic lives thus far—Poe as a politician and Day golfer.
And they will continue to dazzle, as their destiny is just unfolding.
Poe is a foundling and Day, at 12, lost his father to cancer.
The story goes that Poe was found abandoned at the door of an Iloilo church in Jaro.
She would soon be adopted by the late FPJ and his wife, the movie’s living legend Susan Roces.
Poe found herself migrating to the US, only to find herself back in Manila for good upon the death of FPJ in 2005 after the Da King’s failed presidential bid in 2004.
In 2010, Poe got herself appointed as TV/film watchdog by President Aquino.
In 2013, Poe ran for senator and emerged No. 1, defying pre-election surveys that placed her only at 9-12.
Since then, her stock rose spectacularly day in and day out until she got to topping surveys as the most preferred candidate for President in 2016.
Poe says she hasn’t made up her mind whether to run for President or not.
She adds that she hasn’t slammed the door shut on being Mar Roxas’ running mate in May.
It is widely believed that Poe is inclined to run for President but as an independent.
Pundits say Chiz Escudero is Poe’s biggest influence and is pushing for a Poe-Escudero tandem.
I say that can only happen if Danding Cojuangco’s powerhouse NPC group will become the duo’s chief backer.
Until then, Poe is just that—a presidential bet that she never is right now.
If time is of the essence, Poe could be losing much ground.
Her foes have been on the campaign trail for months now.
As to Day, well, this Filipino-Australian has just won the 97th PGA Championship, the fourth and last golf major of the year.
The victory ended bitter failures that saw Day collapse on the fourth and final of action after being ahead in all three past majors.
In golf, winning just one of the four majors—Masters, US Open, British Open and PGA Championship—is a lifetime badge of golf greatness.
Finally displaying nerves of steel and rock-solid knees, Day defied last-day demons and turned back the challenge of Jordan Spieth, the reigning Masters and US Open champ, winning by a huge three shots.
Day became an alcoholic at 12 as he battled depression over his father’s death.
His widowed mother, Deling Grapilon of Carigara, Leyte, coughed out all her savings to bring Jason to an exclusive boarding school, away from alcohol in their Queensland neighborhood.
At 6, Jason started to learn golf from his father, Alvin, who met Deling through pen pal.
It was through golf that Jason’s mother had leaned on to wean Jason away from a life of wasted street living.
In his new school far from home was a golf course nearby, where a keen-eyed golf teacher, Colin Swatton, saw in Jason a potential world-beater.
The rest, as they say, is history.
In the compelling stories of Poe and Day, life again is imitating fiction.
Tell me, who knows about tomorrow?
(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)
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