Senator Grace Poe. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero came to the defense of Senator Grace Poe on Thursday after a losing senatorial bet filed a petition seeking her ouster for failing to meet residency requirements.
Escudero, Poe’s close friend and leading prospective vice presidential candidate in voter’s preference surveys, said that the attacks against the lady senator only prove that she is a threat to other possible candidates.
“Ang kaya kong sabihin ay hindi nakakapanghina ng loob (ni Senator Poe) ‘yung mga ganito; patunay ito na ika nga ‘pag may sumisipa sa’yo sa likod palagi, patunay lamang ‘yun na lamang ka,” Escudero said in a Radyo Inquirer 990 AM interview on Thursday.
(I can say that Senator Poe’s not disheartened by these accusations; these allegations only prove that when someone is kicking you from behind, you are ahead of them.)
READ: Escudero: Case vs Grace Poe ‘funny, irritating’
On Thursday, Rizalito David, a losing senatorial candidate in the 2013 elections, filed a petition seeking the ouster of Poe for failing to meet the citizenship requirements of a public official.
READ: Losing senatorial bet files petition to oust Grace Poe
David initially tried to file the petition on Wednesday but failed to do so because he could not pay the P50,000 filing fee.
Will never oppose Poe
Asked for his opinion about the invitation of Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II to Poe to become the administration’s vice presidential candidate, Escudero said that he is not privy to their negotiations.
He also said that he will not run against Poe in the next elections.
“Sa pagitan nilang dalawa ‘yan; labas ako doon. Hindi naman ako ang kinakausap, ni hindi ako ang nais makapulong.”
(It’s between the two of them, and I am not included. I have not been negotiating, and they don’t even want to meet with me.)
“Nasabi ko na rin naman makailang ulit na, anuman ang maging desisyon ni Sen. Poe, tumakbo man o hindi, sa pagkapangulo man o hindi, susuporta ako palagi sa kanya at tutulong. Kahit kalian hindi darating ‘yung panahon na magkakalaban kaming dalawa sa parehong puwesto,” Escudero added.
(I have said this before, whatever Sen. Poe’s decision is, whether she runs for president or not, I will always support and help her. It will never come to a point that I will fight her for the same position.)
Despite leading in voters’ preference surveys, both Poe and Escudero have not publicly declared their plans for 2016. IDL / Arianne Merez/Inquirer.net trainee
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