The camp of Senator Grace Poe asked the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday (Dec. 28, 2015) to stop the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that disqualified her to run in the 2016 presidential polls. Poe, through her legal counsel, Atty. George Garcia (in left photo), filed the petition for certiorari and urgent motion for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Comelec decision. One of the two petitions filed by Poe’s camp challenged the Comelec First Division ruling while the second petition assailed the Comelec Second Division ruling. Poe’s camp also asked the SC to issue a status quo ante order (SQAO) against the Comelec ruling in order that the name of Poe would still be included in the ballot for the 2016 elections. Photo at right shows Poe’s supporters urging the Comelec to allow the lady senator to run for president in the May 2016 polls. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Senator Grace Poe seemed to be “very calm” and “not anxious” despite the impending decision of the Supreme Court (SC) on the disqualification cases filed against her, Senator Serge Osmeña said on Thursday.
“She might know something because last night, my wife bumped into her at a wedding, Grace was the ninang (godmother) and she was very calm and she was not anxious about the decision that will be made next week,” Osmeña said at a regular forum in the Senate.
“I believe the Supreme Court is having an en banc session on March 9 so that’s six days from today. That’s on Wednesday next week. No she doesn’t seem bothered,” the senator added.
Osmeña predicted that it would be a close vote at the SC on whether or not Poe should be removed as senator because of her citizenship and if she should be barred from running for president in May over her residency and citizenship.
The SC, he said, might split the issues between the residency and citizenship.
The citizenship issue is the subject of a petition filed by defeated senatorial bet Rizalito David that seeks to unseat Poe as senator but was junked by the Senate Electoral Tribunal. The petitioner elevated the case to the SC.
The residency and the citizenship issues, meanwhile, are the subjects of disqualification cases filed at the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which later cancelled Poe’s certificate of candidacy for president in May. The senator appealed the Comelec ruling at the high tribunal.
Despite the questions on Poe’s qualifications, Osmeña said he would rather see her name in the ballot and just let the people decide whether or not they want her to become president.
“But I still don’t want to fool around or tinker with the Philippine Constitution, which is very clear – either your mother or your father is a Filipino and you have to prove it,” he said.
“Can you imagine how many kids would be foundlings tomorrow if they decide? They will not even bother to go through the naturalization process anymore…basta sasabihin nila, foundling ito (they will just claim that he or she is a foundling)…” added, Osmena, who helped Poe when she first ran and won the senatorial race in 2013.
Abandoned as an infant at a church in Iloilo, Poe was adopted by popular actors Susan Roces, and the late Fernando Poe Jr. (MNS)