PolSci prof: Poe may have 'pattern to misrepresent factual things'

Contreras on Sen. Grace Poe's error in COC and titles: "Regardless if may malicious intent, it was deliberate." pic.twitter.com/9WVSIeDpWB

— R-A. Dioquino (@AicaDioquino) November 25, 2015

One of the petitioners against the candidacy of Senator Grace Poe for president on Wednesday alleged that the 2016 presidential candidate may have a "pattern to misrepresent factual things" regarding her citizenship.

In the oral arguments of his petition before the Second Division of the Commission on Elections, Antonio Contreras said the senator had lied about her citizenship before she filed her COC for senator in the 2013 electoins.

"I'd like to submit to your further attention your honors... Senator Poe also has a record of trying to misrepresent herself. In June 1, 2006, she and her husband bought a lot and in the TCT (Transfer Certficate of Title) it was mentioned that she was a Flipino," Contreras said, referring to a property in Quezon City.

The documents supposedly showed that Poe and her husband Niel Llamanzares bought a condominium unit in February 2006. Titles for the unit, as well as the parking area, said the two were "both of legal age, Filipinos."

In June of the same year, they bought a lot in Quezon City. They were also described as such in the title.

The purchases were made before Poe was granted repatriation in July 2006, which, Contreras said, would mean the senator "was still very much an American citizen" at the time the titles were furnished.

"How can you not be conscious of the fact that you're not yet a Filipino? Siguro nu'ng time na 'yun alam niyang hindi pa siya Filipino dahil hindi pa na-re-repatriate. Bakit ilalagay niyang Filipino [siya]?" Contreras said in an interview after the proceedings.

"It may not be necessarily malicious, pero 'yung fact na meron nang record na mag-misrepresent sa sarili mo, that would give us an idea, probably of her tendency to do this, sa kaniyang COC," he added.

Contreras said that by looking at Poe's COC for senator and president, one may come to a conclusion that "she probably knew there is some problem."

Those questioning Poe's candidacy based on residency have pointed out that if basing on her COC for senator — where she wrote that she has been residing in the Philippines for "6 years and 6 months" — the senator would be short of the 10-year residency requirement for president.

"Regardless if may malicious intent or not, that is deliberate... Hindi naman aksidente na nailagay mo 'yan diyan. That is will. So I'm just pointing out the case of the titles because really, this isn't the first time," he said.

He added: "In fact yung misrepresentation niya sa titulo... that's basically perjury."

Poe's defense

In Poe's defense, her legal counsel George Garcia said laws like the Foreign Investments Act allow a "former Filipino" like his client at that time to acquire the said properties.

"Hindi naman po ipinagbabawal na mag-acquire ng property ang isang dating Filipino... At ang sinasabi po natin, nu'ng nag-acquire siya, hindi lamang naman siya, kundi pati 'yung kaniyang asawa. 'Yung kaniyang asawa, nu'ng nag-acquire sila ay American and at the same time, Filipino," he told reporters.

He said that Poe may have said she was Filipino by mistake, adding that the same applied in how she filled up her COC for senator in 2012.

"Kahit nga po sa COC niya for senator, sinasabi na hindi siya naging truthful, pero sinabi na nga namin that was an honest mistake," he said. "Hindi naman siya lawyer... [Puwedeng sabihing] 'Siyempre, nilagay ko Filipino kasi naniniwala akong Filipino ako.'"

He added: "It's a question of law... Ang importante po, 'yung pagkakamali na 'yun ay puwedeng i-rectify. At the same time, there's no malicious intent, or deliberate at that to commit a lie. Ang importante walang diretsahang pagsisinungaling. Lahat ng tao nagkakamali. Ang importante, kahit magkamali ka, 'wag ka lang magsinungaling." —ALG/JST, GMA News