SET drops residency issue, to focus on Grace Poe citizenship

By MARK MERUEÑAS, GMA News

Published September 11, 2015 11:11am

(Updated 3:02 p.m.) The oral argument regarding the disqualification case against Sen. Grace Poe will focus on the issue on whether she is a natural-born Filipino.

On Friday, Poe's lawyer, Alexander Poblador, told reporters that Senate Electoral Tribunal chairman Associate Justice Antonio Carpio himself suggested that the residency issue be dropped as it was deemed a "non-issue."

"[Residency] is no longer an issue because it has prescribed. Renunciation is a sub-issue. She renounced her citizenship when she assumed the position as MTRCB chair and although not required, she renounced it at the US Embassy on October 21, 2010," Poblador said.

Half an hour was all that was needed for the SET to discuss how to go about with the scheduled oral argument on September 21 regarding the disqualification case filed by Rizalito David, a defeated senatorial bet in the 2013 polls.

After emerging from the conference, Poe said she attended the meeting to defend herself against David's accusations that she is not a natural-born Filipino.

"Ako ay kusang nagpunta dito upang depensahan ang mga paratang laban sa akin... nang walang takot at direkta na sinasabi sa kanila na ako ay isang tunay na Pilipino," Poe told reporters.

Her camp later issued a statement quoting Poblador as saying that the complaint was a ploy to prevent the senator from seeking a higher post in 2016. Poe, however, has yet to categorically state her political plans for 2016.

'No forum shopping'

Before the start of the preliminary conference, David insisted he did not commit any forum shopping when he filed the cases against the lawmaker before the SET and the Comelec.

"Ako ang position ko, wala siyang citizenship... Hindi naman valid ang re-aquisition niya noong 2006 kasi hindi siya natural born citizen," he said. "Kung nais natin magkaroon ng maayos na pamunuan, dapat ang mga pinuno muna sumunod sa batas."

David also showed a copy of Poe's birth certificate that were allegedly tampered.

Poblador later denied the accusation, saying the changes were not tampering but merely additions to reflect her formal adoption in 1974. Poblador added that a new birth certificate was indeed issued in 1980 to reflect the changes.

For her part, Poe said the SET proceedings seemed to be a "replay" of the citizenship issue that surrounded her late father, Fernando Poe Jr.

"Medyo sentimental nga po ang aking pagdalo ngayon sapagkat noong si FPJ ay tumakbo noong 2004, wala po silang mabato sa kanya na korapsiyon, pagnanakaw o hindi pagtulong sa kapwa. Kaya ang ginawa nila ay batuhin siya ng issue ng citizenship," she said.

Senators who attended the preliminary conference were SET members Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Bam Aquino, Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay and Vicente 'Tito" Sotto III.

Apart from the six senators, also comprising the SET are Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo de Castro and Arturo Brion.

Poe said she has no control on who makes up the SET, but just hoped the body would be fair in deciding on the disqualification case against her.

"Ako ay umaasa sa pagiging patas at makatarungan ng mga kasama sa Senate Electoral Tribunal. Ako naman ay kumpiyansa sa kanilang kakayanan at dasal ko lamang na ang kanilang konsensya ay hindi madidiktahan ninuman," she said.

Sotto, while being mum on what was discussed during the conference, told reporters that the nine-member body could resolve the disqualification case by November.

For her part, Binay assured the public that she would be fair in deciding on Poe's case even if her fellow lawmaker is a possible rival of her father Vice President Jejomar Binay in the 2016 presidential elections. — LBG/RSJ, GMA News

Tags: gracepoe, citizenship, senateelectoraltribunal