Susan Roces lashes at daughter Grace Poe’s critics

Veteran actress Susan Roces on Tuesday lashed back at the critics of her daughter, Sen. Grace Poe, for questioning her citizenship.

Roces was particularly peeved at people who raised the issue of citizenship on the grounds that Poe, a neophyte senator and a strong contender for the presidency in 2016 based on recent surveys, was a foundling.

“Never ko siyang tinawag na adopted, never ko siyang tinawag na ampon, at lalong never, never ko siyang tinawag na pulot. How dare them use that word,” the widow of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. said in an interview with the media.

“Grace is our daughter. Nakakabit pa ang pusod niya nang siya’y matagpuan sa simbahan ng Jaro [Iloilo]. Kukuwestiyonin nila kung citizen siya ng bansang ito? Bakit, ano karapatan nila na iwalang-bisa iyong ipinaglaban namin sa korte para magkaroon siya ng birth certificate?” an emotional Roces said.

Roces did not mention any names, but her comment came days after a defeated senatorial candidate in the 2013 elections, Rizalito David, filed a petition with the Senate Electoral Tribunal seeking to unseat Poe for supposedly not being a Filipino citizen. He also filed an electoral protest against Poe before the Commission on Elections.

Roces, dubbed as the "Queen of Philippine Movies," said she considers Poe as God’s answer to her prayers and vowed to support whatever decision she will make in connection with the 2016 elections.

“Ipinalangin ko sa Diyos na magkaroon ako ng anak at dinescribe ko ang itsura niya. Sabi ko na may mga matang katulad mo na nagniningning, may kulot na buhok na katulad mo. Ngayon basta-basta may dadating na lang at sisirain ang lahat ng iyan? Wala silang karapatan na duru-duruin ang anak ko at tawaging hindi citizen ng bansang ito,” she said.

Roces said she expects more criticisms to be hurled against Poe as the elections draw near.
She admitted, however, that seeing her daughter go through the experience was more painful than when FPJ’s citizenship was questioned when he ran for president in 2004.

“Kahit hayop nasasaktan. Huwag na huwag mong mahipo ang mga tuta ng bagong panganak na aso, sasakmalin ka niyan,” Roces said.

On criticisms that her daughter lacked experience needed to run the country, Roces pointed out that what should count more was how Poe was raised by her family as an independent and compassionate person.

“How you live your life, your daily practices, your compassion for the less fortunate…Kung ano ang edad niya, 'yun ang tagal ng eksperiensya niya,” she said.

On August 20, the Poe family will mark the birthday of FPJ with a Mass on his gravesite at the Manila North Cemetery. —KBK, GMA News