Grace Poe: Two rivals behind disqualification cases

There is a conscious effort by at least two rivals to disqualify Senator Grace Poe from next year's presidential elections, the independent presidential candidate told reporters on Wednesday.

A day after the Commission on Elections Second Division ruled to cancel her certificate of candidacy for president after it found her lacking in residency, Poe said other presidential bets seemed bent on removing her from the race.

"Napakasigasig kasi ng proseso na ginagawa nila. Talagang gusto nila akong ipitin. Siguro kasama iyan sa stratehiya nila," Poe told reporters after a news forum in Pasay City.

"Pero sino ba talaga ang magbebenepisyo dito? Eh 'di iyong mga katunggali ko na dalawa na sigurado ako na iyon ang nagpaharap ng mga kasong iyon," she said.

Asked later if she was referring to administration standard bearer Mar Roxas and Vice President Jejomar Binay, she said: "Oo, sila naman 'yun."

Poe has been leading presidential preference surveys over the past two quarters.

Aside from Poe, Roxas and Binay, other contenders in the presidential elections include Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago and OFW party-list Representative Roy Señeres.

When asked to name which rivals she saw as behind the cases, Poe referred to connections among law firms and political alliances.

"Alam na ninyo ang mga koneksyon," Poe said as she refused to comment any further as regards the identities of the rivals she was referring to.

"Maglaban tayo sa tamang paraan," Poe added.

‘No plan to undermine Poe's candidacy’

Marikina Representative Miro Quimbo, a spokesman for the LP-led Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid, said the administration coalition is not behind the disqualifcation cases filed against Poe.

Quimbo said the ruling party could have dealt a blow to Poe's run weeks ago when Senator Bam Aquino, an LP member, voted on Poe's disqualification case before the Senate Electoral Tribunal.

Instead, Aquino voted in Poe's favor.

"The deciding vote in favor of Senator Grace was Senator Bam Aquino who is not only an ordinary LP member but is a member of the executive committee of the Liberal Party, is a first cousin of the President," Quimbo said in Sandra Aguinaldo's report on GMA News' "24 Oras."

"Kung talagang ang intention namin ay gamitin ang proseso, noon palang ay ginawa na namin when it was absolutely in our countrol," he added.

The SET voted 4-3 to junk petitioner Rizalito David's case against Poe's fitness to be a senator due to a questioned citizenship. Four senators, including Aquino, voted for Poe while the three other members of the SET—all Supreme Court justices—voted for David's petition.

But the Poe campaign suffered a setback on Tuesday when the Comelec Second Division disqualified her over her failure to comply with the Constitutional residency requirement for the presidency.

Quimbo, however, said that allegations that LP would be behind the cases against Poe were unfounded.

“The Liberal Party coalition will not allow itself to be party to any activity involving the disqualification of Secretary Mar’s opponents. Any insinuation to the contrary is baseless and malicious,” Quimbo said.

Sought for Binay's comment, former Cainta Mayor Mon Ilagan, a spokesman for the Vice President, said there would be no comment on the issue from their camp at this time.

'Follow the law'

Rival camps had earlier called on Poe to follow the law following the ruling of the second division, disqualifying her from the 2016 presidential elections.

"I have yet to read the decision but I ask all concerned parties to respect the legal process and the rule of law," said Akbayan party-list Rep. Barry Gutierrez, the spokesman of Roxas' Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid.

"The issue is not about Sen. Grace or foundlings. We should all be bound to follow the law," said Parañaque City Rep. Gustavo Tambunting of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance, which is fielding Binay as its presidential bet.

"The integrity of the Constitution should be protected at all costs," Tambunting added.

Poe's camp on Tuesday said that she would continue campaigning for the presidency in 2016 despite the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division to cancel her certificate of candidacy.

"Habang tumatakbo itong proseso, tuloy ang kampanya ni Sen. Grace Poe. She's still a candidate, she will be candidate," said Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian, Poe's spokesman.

He added that the decision is but part of a long process.

"Yung lumabas na desisyon ay desisyon lamang ng Second Division," Gatchalian said, noting that it was far from final.

He assured that Poe will exhaust all legal remedies to keep the senator in the running for the country's top post.

"We will make sure that we will appeal the decision," he said.

Palace calls for sobriety

Malacañang on Wednesday appealed for sobriety and respect for law among all concerned parties following a decision of the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) Second Division to disqualify Senator Grace Poe from the 2016 presidential race.

“We understand that Senator Poe's legal counsel will pursue and exhaust all remedies available to them, as is their right in this process. We believe that sobriety and respect for the law and its processes are the best way forward for all parties concerned,” said presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda. —NB/JST, GMA News