Sen. Grace Poe says the issues being hurled against her pertain to citizenship and residency, not stealing and incompetence.
Sen. Grace Poe on Wednesday took a swipe at critics claiming that she could not be called a natural-born Filipino citizen because she was a foundling.
Poe, an adoptive daughter of the late movie actor and 2004 presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. and actress Susan Roces, said such personal attacks were aimed to degrade her.
“Para sabihing sinungaling ako dahil ang sinasabi ko na ang nanay at tatay ko ay si FPJ at si Susan Roces, parang masyado namang mapang-api yun. Ako naman po ay dina-down nila, hindi naman po ganun ang pagkilala ng batas natin. May court proceedings po na nangyari diyan,” Poe said in an interview with reporters in Pangasinan.
The senator said she was ready to answer the citizenship and residency issues being hurled against her, as these were not pertaining to issues of stealing in the government.
“Pero higit pa dun, parang hindi naman po ito isyu ng pagnanakaw o incompetence. Ito po ay isyu ng isang pagkatao, na ako naman po ay handang harapin dahil hindi naman po ito pagnanakaw sa ating pamahalaan at ako po ay tutok sa sirkumstansiya ng aking pagkapanganak na wala naman talaga akong control doon,” she added.
Amid a possible presidential bid in the 2016 elections, Poe’s citizenship has been brought up to the media by the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is currently facing corruption allegations.
Saying that even foundlings like her could also dream, Poe noted that parenthood was not only about biological processes such as giving birth, but also the way mothers and fathers raised and loved their children.
“Ito ay hindi lang laban ko, laban din ng mga bata na napulot kung saan lamang na kahit papaano ay nangangarap din. May mga anak din kayo. Maswerte ang ilan sa inyo, mayroon kayong mga biological children pero alam ninyo na ang pagkakaroon ng isang anak ay hindi lamang dahil ipinanganak ninyo ‘yun,” Poe said.
Ikaw ay isang magulang dahil pinalaki mo ang batang ‘yan. ‘Yun ang nagbigay ng kahulugan ng pagiging isang magulang. Sana naman ay huwag nilang maliitin ang pagmamahal ng isang magulang sa kanyang anak kahit na bang sabihin mong adopted parents,” she added.
Poe, who topped recent preference surveys for potential presidential bets, was abandoned in a church in Jaro, Iloilo, when she was still a baby. She has yet to declare whether she will run for higher office next year. Yuji Vincent Gonzales/RC
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