Fernando Poe Jr. | |
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Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino candidate for President of the Philippines |
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Election date May 10, 2004 |
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Running mate | Loren Legarda |
Personal details | |
Born |
Ronald Allan Kelley Poe August 20, 1939 Manila, Commonwealth of the Philippines |
Died | December 14, 2004 Quezon City, Philippines |
(aged 65)
Cause of death | Cerebral thrombosis and multiple organ failure |
Resting place | Manila North Cemetery, Santa Cruz, Manila |
Political party | Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino |
Spouse(s) | Susan Roces (m. 1968; d. 2004) |
Children | 4 (including Grace and Lovi) |
Parents | Fernando Poe Sr. (father) |
Ronald Allan Kelley Poe (August 20, 1939 – December 14, 2004), better known as Fernando Poe Jr. and colloquially known as FPJ and Da King, was a Filipino actor. During the latter part of his career, Poe was defeated by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the 2004 Philippine presidential elections. His long career as an action film star earned him the nickname "King of Philippine Movies" (often shortened to Da King).
Poe was posthumously declared a National Artist of the Philippines for Film on May 23, 2006 by President Macapagal-Arroyo. The award was confirmed by President Benigno Aquino III on July 20, 2012, and was presented to his family on August 16.
Ronald Allan K. Poe was the son of Filipino actor Fernando Poe Sr. (Allan Fernando Poe y Reyes), a native from San Carlos City, Pangasinan and Elizabeth "Bessie" Kelley, an Irish-American. He was born in Manila. His parents were not yet legally married when he was born on August 20, 1939, although his parents were later married in 1940. His political opponents tried to derail his bid for the 2004 Philippine presidency when they sought to disqualify him as an illegitimate son of a non-Filipino mother. He was the second among six siblings and it was his brother Andy (Fernando II) who was really named Fernando Poe Jr. which Ronald later adopted, to bank on the popularity of his father who was a top actor in his time. Conrad Poe, a Filipino actor is Ronald Poes' half-brother, the illegitimate son of Fernando Poe Sr. and actress Patricia Mijares.
Pou is the original spelling of the family's surname from his grandfather, playwright Lorenzo Pou, a Catalan migrant from Majorca, Spain, who ventured into mining and business in the Philippines.
In 1953, Poe finished his primary education at San Beda College, Lepanto. For high school, he went to San Sebastian College. He continued his education at Mapua Institute of Technology and University of the East. His father died from rabies at age 35, leaving the young Poe as the family's breadwinner; to support his family, he dropped out of school.