Poe confident SC will reverse Comelec disqualification

Senator Grace Poe said on Tuesday that she was confident that the Supreme Court would rule in her favor and reverse the Commission on Elections' decision to disqualify her candidacy due to her failure to meet residency and nationality requirements.

“Tayo ay naniniwala at nananalig sa mga myembro ng Korte Suprema, kahit sino man ang nagtalaga sa kanila, sa tingin ko ang kanilang panunumpa ay hindi para sa tao na naglagay sa kanila doon kundi dun sa mga tao na pinagsisilbihan nila,” Poe said in a press conference.

She also claimed that the Comelec had decided against her because, except for two or three commissioners, the poll body did not study the evidence submitted before it. “Kami ay umaasa at sa tingin namin ay malaki ang aming tsansa [sa SC] sapagkat ang naging problema sa Comelec ay hindi talaga tinignan ang aming mga isinumiteng, ebidensiya. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit hindi man lang nabigyan ng konting pagtingin iyong aming mga naibigay,” she said.

Poe added that she was ready to appear before the Comelec and elaborate on the documents she presented to support her claim.

“Sasabihin nila na ako raw ay hindi nagsabi ng tutuo, paano nila masasabi eh ni hindi nila ako kinausap, ni hindi man lang nila tinignan yung mga isinumite namin,” she said. “Harap-harapan kong silang pwedeng puntahan ngayon kung gusto nila, tignan nila isa isa ang aming mga isinumite at sabihin nila na hindi tutuo yun.”

The senator also said that only something under-handed could prevent her from running for the presidency. “Kaya kung dadayain nila, mananagot sila sa taumbayan sapagkat, ngayon iba na ang ating taumbayan. Unang-una, mas mayroong partisipasyon, sa social media, makikita naman natin ang trend kung sino ang may laban at kung sino ang wala,” she added.

Detractors

During the news conference, the senator disclosed the documents she submitted in a slideshow presentation. The documents included her tax identification card, her children's transcript of records, the email she sent to the movers she hired to empty her house in the US, and her declaration of citizenship.

Poe also took the opportunity to thank Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno, Associate Justices Mariano del Castillo, and Marvic Leonen for the temporary restraining order against the Comelec decision. “Binigyan nila ng puwang ang katotohanan, pinagtanggol ang karapatan ng maliliit, at pinigilan ang di-makatuwirang panggigipit,” he said.

Poe also emphasized that she was still a candidate and her name was still on the ballot. "Sa ating pag-iikot, maraming kababayan ang nagtatanong, 'Tuloy pa ba kayo?' At noong mga huling araw ang masasabi ko lang sa kanila ay ipagdasal nyo kung ano ang makakabuti para sa atin,” she said.

The senator also equated the people who sought her disqualification as the same people who did not have the best interests of the citizenry in mind.

Poe refused to identify her detractors. “Hayaan mo na iyon. Ito lang ang masasabi ko, kung sinuman ang pinoprotektahan ninyong interes, sa kanila iyon, pero sigurado ako, hindi interes para sa bayan ang kanilang ginagawa,” she said.  — DVM, BAP GMA News