Poe defends citizenship of husband, children

Senator Grace Poe on Monday said her husband Neil Llamanzares is a natural-born Filipino citizen because both his parents were Filipinos, but is a dual citizen because he was born in the United States.

“Filipino siya dahil Filipino ang kanyang mga magulang pero ipinanganak siya sa Amerika dahil nag-aaral ang kanyang mga magulang doon noong siya ay ipanganak,” Poe said told dzBB’s Ikaw Na Ba? The Presidential Interview.

“Ang aking asawa ay dual citizen, hindi naman ito kasalanan kung saan ka ipinanganak,” she added.

Poe said her children were also dual citizens because of their father.

She believed despite their status, she believed her family loves the Philippines because they are also citizens of the country.

“Hindi limitado ng teritoryo ang pagmamahal sa bayan,” she said.

In the same radio program, Poe explained that she and her husband decided to reside in the United States because it was there that they found the opportunity to raise their family.

“Hiyang-hiya ang asawa ko na maging dependent sa kanyang mga magulang o sa aking mga magulang at doon yung oportunidad noon na magkatrabaho,” Poe said.

“Kung maaari nga ay gusto niyang ipakita na kaya niya sa kanyang sariling kayod na itaguyod ang aming pamilya,” she added.

She said her husband agreed to return to the Philippines because her mother was alone when her father, the late Fernando Poe Jr., died in 2004.

“Kaya nga lang ‘yan pumayag na samahan tayong muli dahil sa sitwasyon ng nanay ko na naiwang mag-isa nang mawala ang aking ama,” she said. — RSJ, GMA News