In the town of San Pedro, Laguna, about 100km north of Manila, hundreds of people have gathered to witness the coming of the man they call 'Da King'. When the Philippines' answer to John Wayne descended from on high, neither his crowd controllers nor the dust storm he created could keep the fans at bay.
Fernando Poe Junior, FPJ, or 'Da King', as he's more simply known, is a movie star with a reputation for defending the poor. Right now, however, FPJ is auditioning for his biggest role yet - president of the Philippines.
REPORTER: Why would someone with no political experience want the job?
FIDEL RAMOS, FORMER PRESIDENT: In the beginning, he didn't want the job but people around him who are probably manipulating him, pushing him, pulling him in that or this direction, who have their own agenda, convinced him to run.
POLICEMAN: Well I'd like to congratulate you and your men for a job well done.
A high school dropout with more than 50 years of movie-making experience, Fernando Poe Jr is best known for playing the quiet hero, the underdog. In his films, he only reaches for his gun to protect those who need his help, when pushed too far.
Here in the Philippines, fame is a proven winner in launching a political career. Celebrities currently hold more than a third of the seats in the nation's Senate. When a United opposition ticket went looking for a candidate to challenge President Gloria Arroyo, they found 'Da King'.
DAVID CELDRAN, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: This is not an aberration, I think. I think it will be, funny as it might sound, it's some sort of laboratory for what might be the future of politics around the world.
Political commentator David Celdran says fame is real currency in the Philippines, and that's the reason for 'Da King's political appeal.
DAVID CELDRAN: Political parties now no longer determine who gets to run - it's the surveys that determine who gets to run as President - that's the phenomenon of Fernando Poe Junior. He was never affiliated with any political party. He was plucked out from the movies and made to run as president solely because he had the highest rating of any person in a presidential survey.
The Philippines' last president, Joseph Estrada, managed to ride to power on the back of a successful film career. Like Poe he was an action movie star. But Estrada is now in prison awaiting trial for embezzling millions of dollars of public money. Now Filipinos are being asked to gamble again on a movie star with presidential ambitions.
For all his on-camera experience, Fernando Poe Junior doesn't like talking to the media. Following him on the campaign trail, I soon found that FPJ was a man of few words.
REPORTER: When you look at the polls, you're neck and neck - do you believe you're going to win?
FERNANDO POE JUNIOR: Well whatever the poll says we just keep on working. Yes, just keep on campaigning.
REPORTER: Why do you believe you would be a great president? Why should you be president?
FERNANDO POE JUNIOR: Well one thing I'm sure of - my government, if ever I do win, will not be a corrupt government.
Fernando Poe Junior's supporters don't think his political inexperience should be held against him. In fact they see his naivety as a great asset.
BOOTS PLATA, DIRECTOR: The presidency is an office where there is no school to prepare a man to become president - we really don't have a school for that. We have a school for all kinds of degrees, except the presidency.
Boots Plata has directed two of FPJ's many films. He says 'Da King's' honesty has struck a chord with the masses.
BOOTS PLATA: He may not be as brilliant as all the best learned presidents we've had. But look at where we are now. We've had so many intelligent leaders - where's our country now? What we need is a leader who has the heart and the integrity to really make the law equal for all and I believe this is the guy who's gonna do it.
CROWD: FPJ, FPJ, FPJ, FPJ...
BOOTS PLATA: See in the middle of all it, he can still make fun of it. Don't you think he is a very sane guy? Ha ha ha!
REPORTER: Democracy is about getting the government you vote for. Is the Philippines getting what it's voting for?
DAVID CELDRAN: It is. You get what you get.
REPORTER: Do you get what you deserve?
DAVID CELDRAN: I don't want to say that. I think the Philippines deserves more than the politicians that we have. But it's also a function of the choices are limited. The choices that we are presented with are very limited, so people are also forced to choose just based on gut feel. And when gut feel is the only basis now for your choice, then you always look for things that are quite superficial, because you don't know these candidates. They don't talk much about what they believe in.
President Arroyo is at least more likely to talk about what she believes in than her movie star rival. Today she's giving a talk on the campus of the country's leading tertiary institution, the University of the Philippines.
INTRODUCER: Without further ado, I am very privileged to introduce now the President of the Republic of the Philippines, Her excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
During this campaign, both Arroyo and Poe are attempting to woo some 42 million voters with the promise of a more prosperous economy and a better life for the poor.
GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO, PRESIDENT: Poverty is the anchor around the feet of the Philippines. We must break the chain that threatens to drag the nation under once and for all. We must free our people not just to survive but to thrive in a new era of prosperity.
The President's message strikes a chord with her middle class audience, many of whom are fearful of what another movie star-led administration may bring.
SUPPORTER: She is very straight and frank and that's what I like about her and also I think that she asked further questions. Like she, I think she really wanted to really get the pertinent questions, instead of just the private, personal ones.
When Fernando Poe Jr declared he would run for president, opinion polls put the quiet man of the silver screen well ahead of Arroyo. But his lead has slipped and it now appears that the presidential race is going to be a close competition.
Tonight, in one of Manila's many shantytowns, the President is presiding over the opening of a water pump as part of her promise to provide clean water to more poor families. When it comes to election time, those with power know the masses count. But President Arroyo has found that the advantages of office haven't necessarily translated into greater media coverage.
RICHELLE SY: Well, to be honest, FPJ gets more media mileage, he gets more coverage because basically he's an actor. The showbiz part about him is enough to interest a lot of people. Anything he says, or anything he does is new its a novelty, whereas Gloria has been around for however many years and people generally don't like politicians and stuff like that.
Richelle Sy has been covering the President's campaign for election since day one.
REPORTER: What does it say about the Philippines that people prefer an actor than a politician?
RICHELLE SY: Well it is says a lot about us as a people. We are star struck. We're star struck, we are enamoured with actors, we're enamoured with people from the entertainment industry in the way, and it's a carry over from the escapist society that we're in. People think that just because you're an actor and you portray like, kind people, kind citizens on screen, that's how you're gonna be in real life, which is usually not the case.
FIDEL RAMOS: This big, big picture shows three presidents.
Former president Fidel Ramos agrees that image matters in the Philippines and says this is a problem for a President focused on an economic agenda.
FIDEL RAMOS: Maybe also her style is not that charming yet as compared to say a former movie star like Mr Estrada or Mr Fernando Poe Jr but she's learning to overcome these behavioural problems.
Ramos is concerned about Poe's lack of experience, which is why he's campaigning for President Arroyo.
FIDEL RAMOS: In the case of Mr Fernando Poe Jr, with all due respect to him, because he's also consulted me, and I've told him the same thing, that he must learn to become this leader of this big country of 82 million people. It is not an easy job. I told him, "You're like a juggler, juggling 10 balls and you must not drop any of those balls, but as the president of the Philippines, my dear friend," I said, "Your feet are not on the ground, you're on a high wire, 100 metres up, and you yourself must not fall, because the whole country will fall with you."
FPJ may be a political novice, but in a country where political leaders tend to come across as remote and corrupt, it's his on-screen persona that appears to matter more than his platform.
FERNANDO POE JUNIOR, (Translation): Good evening, good evening to you all. Thank you so very much... for being so welcoming.
He often turns to well-known lines from his movies for inspiration at these campaign rallies.
FERNANDO POE JUNIOR, (Translation): I entered politics, and they said that politics is chaotic and corrupt. My answer to that is that I' m prepared to enter even the eye of a needle.
But despite his 'go-it-alone' image, Fernando Poe Jr is far from running solo. And it's his allies who are making some people nervous. On the campaign trail in the home state of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, the presidential aspirant stopped off at the late dictator's tomb, where he paid his respects to his widow Imelda.
Ferdinand Marcos is considered one of the greatest plunderers of all times, stealing from the state billions and billions of dollars. But Imelda still holds out hope her late husband will one day be redeemed and given a state funeral.
In this film, FPJ stars alongside his old acting buddy, former president Joseph Estrada. Estrada was forced from power after a military revolt in 2001, which allowed his then deputy Gloria Arroyo to ascend to the top job. Now he's on trial for economic plunder - illegally amassing over US$70 million during his 31 months in office. Some say Estrada sees Poe as a potential saviour.
REPORTER: What role Mr Estrada in this? There's a lot of rumour and speculation.
FIDEL RAMOS: Well obviously he is supporting totally Mr FPJ, not just because they are old buddies from way back, not because they are compadres, or godfathers to each other, but also maybe this is the best scenario for Mr Estrada in terms of a graceful exit from his problems right now because he's under indictment for the crime of plunder under Philippines law, he is still undergoing trial.
At a campaign rally in the Estrada family's heartland, Jinggoy Estrada, the son of the former president and an aspiring politician himself, joined Fernando Poe Junior on stage.
JINGGOY ESTRADA, (Translation): First, Id lie to thank you for your warm welcome tonight.
A tape-recorded message from Jinggoy's father was broadcast to the crowd.
JOSEPH ESTRADA, TAPE (Translation): Now is the time to correct the wrongs of the past. That is why I'm asking for your full support in voting for the entire ticket of the Coalition of United Filipinos, led by our friends, and the next president of our republic, Fernando Poe Jnr.
Clearly an endorsement from the disgraced Estrada is seen as more of a help than a hindrance. Many poor voters have stuck by the former president. They believe Manila's political elite conspired to illegally oust him from office. Today is Joseph Estrada's 67th birthday. The nation's highest-profile prisoner has been allowed out to host a dinner party for 130 or so of his closest friends at his rural retreat.
JOSE RAMIREZ, (Translation): We came here to see our former president. Because our president was accused to stop his presidency. Secondly, we really are his supporters because we love him because he is very fond of the poor but we all have failed together.
Spit roast beef is clearly on the menu. Guests include family and friends and the nation's former chief justice of the high court. They're transported to an out-of-sight party in golf carts donated by President Arroyo. It appears even the President does not want to let Estrada's supporters feel that he is being treated unfairly while the courts decide his fate. But despite Estrada's declaration of support for Poe, not everyone here is convinced.
JOSE RAMIREZ, (Translation): If the one with experience was fooled, the less experienced will be more fooled. Isn't that right? He'll be fooled for sure because the current president is experienced. Movies are very different from running the country.
Filipinos are rightly concerned that politics here is being rigged. The biggest threat to this election is the possibility that the result will not be found acceptable to the powerful interests behind the scenes. Already Poe's campaign is issuing veiled warnings that if he loses, it will mean that the vote has been fixed.
SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA, FORMER TELEVISION PRESENTER: FPJs popularity ratings, performance ratings or winnability has not slipped, it has not changed. It continues to remain high. What has changed are the numbers, because it has been tampered with by individuals close to the powers that be.
Loren Legarda, a former television presenter, is FPJ's vice-presidential running mate.
SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA: We have our own polls which show that he is leading by a wide, wide margin. In fact, I just have the polls for this province for Laguna - it's a more than 40% lead and I have a more than 20 points lead in this province. What's coming out in the nationwide survey is that we are losing in this province, that we're losing in Zambales.
The Opposition Unity ticket has appointed a notorious former military man-turned-politician to monitor ballot security. Senator Gregorio 'Gringo' Honasan was a central figure in the coup that ousted the Marcos regime, and later staged a number of failed coups against Corazon Aquino. He's also rumoured to have been behind a failed mutiny by disgruntled army officers last year.
REPORTER: What are you expecting?
SENATOR GREGORIO GRINGO HONASAN: Well, I expect all efforts to thwart the will of the people.
REPORTER: You're suggesting rampant cheating is going to take place?
SENATOR GREGORIO GRINGO HONASAN: We want to prepare, we must prepare for the worst and pray at the same time that it will not happen not only for the sake of FPJ or the United Opposition but for the sake of the country.
REPORTER: If rampant cheating does take place, what's the likely follow-on from that?
SENATOR GREGORIO GRINGO HONASAN: The people will decide. If they accept it as a credible election who are we to question that? But if they do not, therein lies the problem.
REPORTER: What's that?
SENATOR GREGORIO GRINGO HONASAN: Well, I cannot say.
Coming from a serial coup leader, these comments can't help but sound sinister. Easter midnight mass at Pasay City, on the outskirts of the capital. And El Shaddai - the charismatic branch of the Catholic church - is holding an all-night vigil being broadcast live across the country. Fernando Poe Jr is here, along with a number of other political candidates. Bishop Teodore Bacani's Easter message is a plea for a fair election.
BISHOP TEODORE BACANI, (Translation): You should not accept any manipulation of the elections. During the election and outside of the elections, you should not accept lies and cheating. And if you stand by Christ, if Christ has risen you are yet to rise. Christ has risen, more power to you. Amen.
After the bishop, Fernando Poe Jr took to the stage to address the crowd.
FERNANDO POE JUNIOR, (Translation): Honorable Brother Mike, and your good wife. Good morning to all of you. I want to thank my wife Susan Roces Poe and all our colleagues at the NPC. This is an experience that I will never forget.
Even here, Fernando Poe Junior wove his movie star magic, turning the holiest night of the Catholic calendar into a campaign rally. But when the people of the Philippines go to the polls next week, it won't be his faith that is being tested, it will be theirs.
Fernando Poe Junior, FPJ, or 'Da King', as he's more simply known, is a movie star with a reputation for defending the poor. Right now, however, FPJ is auditioning for his biggest role yet - president of the Philippines.
REPORTER: Why would someone with no political experience want the job?
FIDEL RAMOS, FORMER PRESIDENT: In the beginning, he didn't want the job but people around him who are probably manipulating him, pushing him, pulling him in that or this direction, who have their own agenda, convinced him to run.
POLICEMAN: Well I'd like to congratulate you and your men for a job well done.
A high school dropout with more than 50 years of movie-making experience, Fernando Poe Jr is best known for playing the quiet hero, the underdog. In his films, he only reaches for his gun to protect those who need his help, when pushed too far.
Here in the Philippines, fame is a proven winner in launching a political career. Celebrities currently hold more than a third of the seats in the nation's Senate. When a United opposition ticket went looking for a candidate to challenge President Gloria Arroyo, they found 'Da King'.
DAVID CELDRAN, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: This is not an aberration, I think. I think it will be, funny as it might sound, it's some sort of laboratory for what might be the future of politics around the world.
Political commentator David Celdran says fame is real currency in the Philippines, and that's the reason for 'Da King's political appeal.
DAVID CELDRAN: Political parties now no longer determine who gets to run - it's the surveys that determine who gets to run as President - that's the phenomenon of Fernando Poe Junior. He was never affiliated with any political party. He was plucked out from the movies and made to run as president solely because he had the highest rating of any person in a presidential survey.
The Philippines' last president, Joseph Estrada, managed to ride to power on the back of a successful film career. Like Poe he was an action movie star. But Estrada is now in prison awaiting trial for embezzling millions of dollars of public money. Now Filipinos are being asked to gamble again on a movie star with presidential ambitions.
For all his on-camera experience, Fernando Poe Junior doesn't like talking to the media. Following him on the campaign trail, I soon found that FPJ was a man of few words.
REPORTER: When you look at the polls, you're neck and neck - do you believe you're going to win?
FERNANDO POE JUNIOR: Well whatever the poll says we just keep on working. Yes, just keep on campaigning.
REPORTER: Why do you believe you would be a great president? Why should you be president?
FERNANDO POE JUNIOR: Well one thing I'm sure of - my government, if ever I do win, will not be a corrupt government.
Fernando Poe Junior's supporters don't think his political inexperience should be held against him. In fact they see his naivety as a great asset.
BOOTS PLATA, DIRECTOR: The presidency is an office where there is no school to prepare a man to become president - we really don't have a school for that. We have a school for all kinds of degrees, except the presidency.
Boots Plata has directed two of FPJ's many films. He says 'Da King's' honesty has struck a chord with the masses.
BOOTS PLATA: He may not be as brilliant as all the best learned presidents we've had. But look at where we are now. We've had so many intelligent leaders - where's our country now? What we need is a leader who has the heart and the integrity to really make the law equal for all and I believe this is the guy who's gonna do it.
CROWD: FPJ, FPJ, FPJ, FPJ...
BOOTS PLATA: See in the middle of all it, he can still make fun of it. Don't you think he is a very sane guy? Ha ha ha!
REPORTER: Democracy is about getting the government you vote for. Is the Philippines getting what it's voting for?
DAVID CELDRAN: It is. You get what you get.
REPORTER: Do you get what you deserve?
DAVID CELDRAN: I don't want to say that. I think the Philippines deserves more than the politicians that we have. But it's also a function of the choices are limited. The choices that we are presented with are very limited, so people are also forced to choose just based on gut feel. And when gut feel is the only basis now for your choice, then you always look for things that are quite superficial, because you don't know these candidates. They don't talk much about what they believe in.
President Arroyo is at least more likely to talk about what she believes in than her movie star rival. Today she's giving a talk on the campus of the country's leading tertiary institution, the University of the Philippines.
INTRODUCER: Without further ado, I am very privileged to introduce now the President of the Republic of the Philippines, Her excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
During this campaign, both Arroyo and Poe are attempting to woo some 42 million voters with the promise of a more prosperous economy and a better life for the poor.
GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO, PRESIDENT: Poverty is the anchor around the feet of the Philippines. We must break the chain that threatens to drag the nation under once and for all. We must free our people not just to survive but to thrive in a new era of prosperity.
The President's message strikes a chord with her middle class audience, many of whom are fearful of what another movie star-led administration may bring.
SUPPORTER: She is very straight and frank and that's what I like about her and also I think that she asked further questions. Like she, I think she really wanted to really get the pertinent questions, instead of just the private, personal ones.
When Fernando Poe Jr declared he would run for president, opinion polls put the quiet man of the silver screen well ahead of Arroyo. But his lead has slipped and it now appears that the presidential race is going to be a close competition.
Tonight, in one of Manila's many shantytowns, the President is presiding over the opening of a water pump as part of her promise to provide clean water to more poor families. When it comes to election time, those with power know the masses count. But President Arroyo has found that the advantages of office haven't necessarily translated into greater media coverage.
RICHELLE SY: Well, to be honest, FPJ gets more media mileage, he gets more coverage because basically he's an actor. The showbiz part about him is enough to interest a lot of people. Anything he says, or anything he does is new its a novelty, whereas Gloria has been around for however many years and people generally don't like politicians and stuff like that.
Richelle Sy has been covering the President's campaign for election since day one.
REPORTER: What does it say about the Philippines that people prefer an actor than a politician?
RICHELLE SY: Well it is says a lot about us as a people. We are star struck. We're star struck, we are enamoured with actors, we're enamoured with people from the entertainment industry in the way, and it's a carry over from the escapist society that we're in. People think that just because you're an actor and you portray like, kind people, kind citizens on screen, that's how you're gonna be in real life, which is usually not the case.
FIDEL RAMOS: This big, big picture shows three presidents.
Former president Fidel Ramos agrees that image matters in the Philippines and says this is a problem for a President focused on an economic agenda.
FIDEL RAMOS: Maybe also her style is not that charming yet as compared to say a former movie star like Mr Estrada or Mr Fernando Poe Jr but she's learning to overcome these behavioural problems.
Ramos is concerned about Poe's lack of experience, which is why he's campaigning for President Arroyo.
FIDEL RAMOS: In the case of Mr Fernando Poe Jr, with all due respect to him, because he's also consulted me, and I've told him the same thing, that he must learn to become this leader of this big country of 82 million people. It is not an easy job. I told him, "You're like a juggler, juggling 10 balls and you must not drop any of those balls, but as the president of the Philippines, my dear friend," I said, "Your feet are not on the ground, you're on a high wire, 100 metres up, and you yourself must not fall, because the whole country will fall with you."
FPJ may be a political novice, but in a country where political leaders tend to come across as remote and corrupt, it's his on-screen persona that appears to matter more than his platform.
FERNANDO POE JUNIOR, (Translation): Good evening, good evening to you all. Thank you so very much... for being so welcoming.
He often turns to well-known lines from his movies for inspiration at these campaign rallies.
FERNANDO POE JUNIOR, (Translation): I entered politics, and they said that politics is chaotic and corrupt. My answer to that is that I' m prepared to enter even the eye of a needle.
But despite his 'go-it-alone' image, Fernando Poe Jr is far from running solo. And it's his allies who are making some people nervous. On the campaign trail in the home state of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, the presidential aspirant stopped off at the late dictator's tomb, where he paid his respects to his widow Imelda.
Ferdinand Marcos is considered one of the greatest plunderers of all times, stealing from the state billions and billions of dollars. But Imelda still holds out hope her late husband will one day be redeemed and given a state funeral.
In this film, FPJ stars alongside his old acting buddy, former president Joseph Estrada. Estrada was forced from power after a military revolt in 2001, which allowed his then deputy Gloria Arroyo to ascend to the top job. Now he's on trial for economic plunder - illegally amassing over US$70 million during his 31 months in office. Some say Estrada sees Poe as a potential saviour.
REPORTER: What role Mr Estrada in this? There's a lot of rumour and speculation.
FIDEL RAMOS: Well obviously he is supporting totally Mr FPJ, not just because they are old buddies from way back, not because they are compadres, or godfathers to each other, but also maybe this is the best scenario for Mr Estrada in terms of a graceful exit from his problems right now because he's under indictment for the crime of plunder under Philippines law, he is still undergoing trial.
At a campaign rally in the Estrada family's heartland, Jinggoy Estrada, the son of the former president and an aspiring politician himself, joined Fernando Poe Junior on stage.
JINGGOY ESTRADA, (Translation): First, Id lie to thank you for your warm welcome tonight.
A tape-recorded message from Jinggoy's father was broadcast to the crowd.
JOSEPH ESTRADA, TAPE (Translation): Now is the time to correct the wrongs of the past. That is why I'm asking for your full support in voting for the entire ticket of the Coalition of United Filipinos, led by our friends, and the next president of our republic, Fernando Poe Jnr.
Clearly an endorsement from the disgraced Estrada is seen as more of a help than a hindrance. Many poor voters have stuck by the former president. They believe Manila's political elite conspired to illegally oust him from office. Today is Joseph Estrada's 67th birthday. The nation's highest-profile prisoner has been allowed out to host a dinner party for 130 or so of his closest friends at his rural retreat.
JOSE RAMIREZ, (Translation): We came here to see our former president. Because our president was accused to stop his presidency. Secondly, we really are his supporters because we love him because he is very fond of the poor but we all have failed together.
Spit roast beef is clearly on the menu. Guests include family and friends and the nation's former chief justice of the high court. They're transported to an out-of-sight party in golf carts donated by President Arroyo. It appears even the President does not want to let Estrada's supporters feel that he is being treated unfairly while the courts decide his fate. But despite Estrada's declaration of support for Poe, not everyone here is convinced.
JOSE RAMIREZ, (Translation): If the one with experience was fooled, the less experienced will be more fooled. Isn't that right? He'll be fooled for sure because the current president is experienced. Movies are very different from running the country.
Filipinos are rightly concerned that politics here is being rigged. The biggest threat to this election is the possibility that the result will not be found acceptable to the powerful interests behind the scenes. Already Poe's campaign is issuing veiled warnings that if he loses, it will mean that the vote has been fixed.
SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA, FORMER TELEVISION PRESENTER: FPJs popularity ratings, performance ratings or winnability has not slipped, it has not changed. It continues to remain high. What has changed are the numbers, because it has been tampered with by individuals close to the powers that be.
Loren Legarda, a former television presenter, is FPJ's vice-presidential running mate.
SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA: We have our own polls which show that he is leading by a wide, wide margin. In fact, I just have the polls for this province for Laguna - it's a more than 40% lead and I have a more than 20 points lead in this province. What's coming out in the nationwide survey is that we are losing in this province, that we're losing in Zambales.
The Opposition Unity ticket has appointed a notorious former military man-turned-politician to monitor ballot security. Senator Gregorio 'Gringo' Honasan was a central figure in the coup that ousted the Marcos regime, and later staged a number of failed coups against Corazon Aquino. He's also rumoured to have been behind a failed mutiny by disgruntled army officers last year.
REPORTER: What are you expecting?
SENATOR GREGORIO GRINGO HONASAN: Well, I expect all efforts to thwart the will of the people.
REPORTER: You're suggesting rampant cheating is going to take place?
SENATOR GREGORIO GRINGO HONASAN: We want to prepare, we must prepare for the worst and pray at the same time that it will not happen not only for the sake of FPJ or the United Opposition but for the sake of the country.
REPORTER: If rampant cheating does take place, what's the likely follow-on from that?
SENATOR GREGORIO GRINGO HONASAN: The people will decide. If they accept it as a credible election who are we to question that? But if they do not, therein lies the problem.
REPORTER: What's that?
SENATOR GREGORIO GRINGO HONASAN: Well, I cannot say.
Coming from a serial coup leader, these comments can't help but sound sinister. Easter midnight mass at Pasay City, on the outskirts of the capital. And El Shaddai - the charismatic branch of the Catholic church - is holding an all-night vigil being broadcast live across the country. Fernando Poe Jr is here, along with a number of other political candidates. Bishop Teodore Bacani's Easter message is a plea for a fair election.
BISHOP TEODORE BACANI, (Translation): You should not accept any manipulation of the elections. During the election and outside of the elections, you should not accept lies and cheating. And if you stand by Christ, if Christ has risen you are yet to rise. Christ has risen, more power to you. Amen.
After the bishop, Fernando Poe Jr took to the stage to address the crowd.
FERNANDO POE JUNIOR, (Translation): Honorable Brother Mike, and your good wife. Good morning to all of you. I want to thank my wife Susan Roces Poe and all our colleagues at the NPC. This is an experience that I will never forget.
Even here, Fernando Poe Junior wove his movie star magic, turning the holiest night of the Catholic calendar into a campaign rally. But when the people of the Philippines go to the polls next week, it won't be his faith that is being tested, it will be theirs.