Leni Robredo: Grace Poe doesn’t deserve to be president, if …

Senator Grace Poe (left) and Congresswoman Leni Robredo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

Senator Grace Poe does not deserve to become president if she “once” renounced her Filipino citizenship, said Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo on Monday.

“For somebody seeking the presidency, mahirap naman na at one point in your life you renounced your loyalty to your country,” said Robredo, widow of former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

“If it can be proven later on that she (Poe) did renounce, palagay ko hindi natin deserve and isang presidente na, at one point in her life, tinalikuran tayo,” the lawmaker from Bicol told Karen Davila of ANC’s Headstart.

The widow of one of the most admired Philippine public servants spoke in the context of Poe losing her Filipino citizenship by becoming a US citizen, before coming back to the country and getting it back.

Robredo clarified, “I’m not saying that she did renounce her citizenship. Hindi ko alam.”

She said that if Poe did renounce her Filipino citizenship, she would not even deserve to be vice president. “Kung nag-revert lang siya sa dati, natural born pa rin siya. Hypothetically, makaka-run pa rin siya pero sa akin ay hindi legal yung question.”

Robredo explained, “Mas loyalty to country (ang issue). Kahit pa naging natural-born citizen ka ulit—kasi bumalik ka sa dati mong citizenship—hindi yon ang question.”

“Ang question ay nagkaroon ng punto sa buhay mo na tinalikuran mo ang iyong bansa,” she said.

Asked if she would endorse Poe if she ran for higher office, the Bicolano lawmaker said she did not know the senator enough to support her. CB

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