Poe saddened by criticisms but standing by her defense of Iglesia

Senator Grace Poe. FILE PHOTO

WHILE saddened by criticisms, Senator Grace Poe is standing by her position that she was only defending the rights of the members of the influential Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) to air their grievances.

“Kinalulungkot ko lang na iba yung pagkakaintindi ng marami subalit para sa akin, dinidepensahan  ko  ang karapatan ng lahat, ano man ang relihiyon mo, ikaw man ay INC, Katoliko, Muslim o kahit na grupo ng magsasaka. Marami talagang sakripisyo sa ngalan ng demokrasya…,” she said on Tuesday.

(I’m just saddened that many people took it differently but for me, I’m only defending the right of everyone — whatever your religion is, whether you’re an INC, Catholic, Muslim, or even if you’re a group of farmers. You really have to make a lot of sacrifices in the name of democracy…)

“Hindi po ito lakas ng isang grupo lamang; ito po ay karapatan ng kahit na sino na magsabi ng kanyang saloobin basta lamang mapayapa at nasa framework ng batas,” she said.

(This is not about the strength of one group only, but the right of every person to express his opinion in a peaceful manner and within the framework of the law.)

Poe was also unfazed by a lawyer’s (Trixie Cruz-Angeles) reading that she violated the anti-graft law for allegedly insinuating that Justice Secretary Leila de Lima should not act on the case  filed  by an expelled INC member against leaders of the Christian sect.

Angeles, counsel for  expelled INC minister Isaias Samson Jr., reportedly said earlier that the senator might  have violated the anti-graft law, which considered as a crime act of “persuading, inducing or influencing another public officer to perform an act constituting a violation of rules and regulations duly promulgated by competent authority or an offense in connection with the official duties of the latter, or allowing himself to be persuaded, induced, or influenced to commit such violation or offense.”

Sought to react to the lawyer’s take , Poe said: “Kahit sino naman basta alam ko naman ang aking sinabi. Malinaw naman yun na naghihikayat lang ako ng transparency at pag uusap para mas magkaintindihan.”