In wake of Grace Poe ruling, PNoy wants SC to clarify rules on citizenship

Supreme Court (SC) justices ought to clarify Philippine laws on citizenship, President Benigno Aquino III said Wednesday, following the 9-6 vote of the tribunal allowing presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe to run in the May presidential race.

Aquino said he also wanted an explanation on how Poe reacquired her Filipino citizenship.

He said he didn't know that she had to go to a US consular office to renounce her US citizenship in 2011 when she was already the chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.

“Sana iyong ating Korte Suprema dito sa kanilang desisyon ay magbibigay talaga... iyong todong kalinawan o paglilinaw sa sambayanan na in their role as educator as far as the law is concerned," Aquino told reporters.

"Para maging klarong-klaro sa lahat ng ating mamamayan kung ano ba talaga ang mga alituntunin sa pagiging citizen or non-citizen ng ating bansa,” he added.

The SC on Tuesday ruled to reverse the decisions of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) canceling Senator Poe’s certificate of candidacy for president.

The Comelec in December disqualified Poe due to material misrepresentation as regards her citizenship and residency.

“For instance, ‘yung tinanggap na niya ‘yung MTRCB position, first time ko narinig na pumunta pa siya doon sa isang consular official ng Amerika in 2011 para i-renounce ‘yung citizenship kung saang panahon na MTRCB chair na siya," Aquino said.

“At palagay ko naitanong ko rin bakit kailangan pang gawin dahil ang assumption ko nga ay matagal-tagal nang na-reacquire supposed to be ‘yung citizenship. So gusto kong makitang sana may tugon doon sa mga tanong tulad n'on doon sa desisyon na hinihintay nating ilabas ng Korte Suprema,” he added.

Aquino meanwhile cited the independence of SC justices after four of his appointees voted in favor of Poe despite his endorsement of his party mate, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.

“Siguro palagay ko ‘di ba ‘yung itinalaga natin sila para maging independent, e,” Aquino said.

Aquino and Roxas in 2015 wooed Poe to be the administration coalition's vice presidential candidate but the first-term senator opted to run for president as an independent.

Poe has since figured strongly in the presidential preference surveys, taking the top spot from opposition presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Aquino, however, seemed unfazed about Poe’s lead in the presidential surveys, when asked about Pulse Asia latest survey results that showed Poe at first place with 26 percent and Roxas at fourth with 19 percent.

The survey was conducted nationwide from February 16 to 27 among 1,200 respondents.

“Paano maaapektuhan? Siyempre magkakaroon ng boost sa kanyang kandidatura. Gaano katagal ‘yung boost? Hindi natin masasabi ‘yan,” Aquino said.

“Huwag mo nang masyadong problemahin ‘yung isang bagay na wala kang control. So ‘yung gagawin ng mga ibang grupo nasa kanila ‘yon,” he added.

'We can explain'

Sought for comment, Poe expressed willingness to furnish Aquino with all the documents she has submitted regarding the disqualification case.

"Perhaps we can also explain it to the President if he needs it. We can always supply him with all that information," she told reporters during a press conference in Candelaria, Quezon.

Poe agreed with Aquino's statement about the fleeting nature of survey rankings.

"When it comes to the survey, depende talaga 'yan sa mensahe ng kandidato at pagtanggap sa kanya ng mga tao. Kaya nga hindi kami pwedeng mag-relax--kahit sinong kandidato. Lahat dapat magtrabaho at umikot at ipaalam ang kanilang mesahe kasi wala namang nakakasigurado dito. Nakita naman natin na kahit ano puwedeng mangyari," Poe said. -NB, GMA News