Philippine movie star and former presidential candidate Fernando Poe has died after suffering a stroke late Saturday.

Mr. Poe's doctor announced the death (early Tuesday Philippine time, 1601 UTC) after Mr. Poe spent two days in a coma in a Manila hospital, under treatment for a blocked blood vessel to the brain.

One of the Philippines' biggest movie stars, Mr. Poe gained international fame as the unsuccessful challenger to President Gloria Arroyo in May of 2004.

After his defeat in presidential elections, the newcomer to politics filed a lawsuit maintaining he was cheated out victory.

During his movie career he completed more than 200 films. He was best known for roles  as an underdog who overcomes great odds.

Some information for this story provided by AP and AFP.