Grace Poe says attendance in disqualification case ‘sentimental’

Senator Grace Poe described as “sentimental” her attendance during the preliminary conference on the disqualification case filed against her by Rizalito David.

“Ito po ay replay ng nangyari sa aking tatay. Medyo sentimental nga po ang aking pagdalo ngayon,” Poe told reporters.

(This is a replay of what happened to my father. My attendance here is a bit sentimental.)

The citizenship of her father, the late action king Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ) was also questioned before the Supreme Court.

The high court, in March 2004, said FPJ is a natural-born Filipino citizen under the terms of the 1935 Constitution.

“Noong si FPJ ay tumakbo noong 2004, wala silang mabato sa kanyang corruption, pagnanakaw o hindi pagtulong sa kapwa kaya ang ginawa nila ay batuhin sya ng issue ng citizenship,” Poe said.

(When FPJ ran in 2004, his critics could not attack him in terms of corruption, theft or not helping his fellow Filipinos so they attacked him regarding the issue of citizenship.)

READ: Grace Poe to face disqualification case at Senate Electoral Tribunal

This is the first time Poe faced her accuser David. She said an aisle separated them during the preliminary conference held at the Supreme Court. But she said there is no need to talk.

“We only listened to [Senior Associate] Justice [Antonio] Carpio (Senate Electoral Tribunal or SET chairman),” Poe said.

Poe said she personally attended the hearing to directly tell the SET and her accuser that she has nothing to fear and she is a true Filipino.

“Ako ay kusang nagpunta dito upang depensahan ang aking sarili nang walang takot at direkta na sinasabi sa kanila na ako ay isang tunay na Pilipino,” Poe said.

(I voluntarily went here to defend myself without fear and I directly tell them that I am a true Filipino.)

READ: SET to start proceedings on disqualification case against Grace Poe on Friday

Sen. Grace Poe INQUIRER.net photo

She said she did not attend the SET proceedings because she will run in the 2016 elections but she wants to defend herself as a person.

“What they are doing is wrong,” Poe said.

Poe said her life is now an open book. While she feels pained visiting her past, she has no choice but to present the documents to  address the allegations against her, the senator added.

“Halos bukas na aklat na po ang aking buhay pati mga dokumento na pinagdaanan ko, may kurot sa puso. Pero kinakailangan ipakita sapagkat wala namang tinatago,” Poe said.

(My life is almost an open book as well as the documents that I have been through, there is pain in my heart. But I need to show it because there is nothing to hide.)

During the preliminary conference, the senator’s lawyer Alex Poblador said they presented Poe’s birth certificate as one of the evidence.

David said Poe’s birth certificate has alterations.

However, Poblador pointed that what David claim as alterations were additions reflecting Poe’s formal adoption in 1974.

Poblader added that contrary to David’s claim that Poe’s birth certificate was registered only in 2006, “it was reflected or registered [at] the Civil Registrar of Iloilo in 1980.”

Poe, a foundling, meaning her parents were unknown, was found abandoned outside Jaro Church in Iloilo City in 1968. She was adopted by celebrity couple Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces in 1974.

Poblador said her adoption decree was registered at the Iloilo Civil Registrar in 1980.

He added that their other argument is that Poe is presumed natural born.

“She was in fact elected Senator and under our law there is a presumption that she was regularly elected, that the law was followed when she was elected,” Poblader said.

He added that the Department of Justice granted Poe’s petition to reacquire citizenship when she was expressly declared natural born citizen.

“So that again affords her presumption of law that she is a natural born and the petition does not controvert this presumption because it does not say that her parents were foreigners. It [petition for disqualification] simply [says that the] petitioner doesn’t know if her parents were [Filipino] citizens or not so the petition [is] casting doubt and if doubt is all that the petitioner has, then the sovereign will should be respected,” Poblador said. Tetch Toress-Tupas/RAM