Former Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon says he did not accept the offer of LP and UNA members to file a disqualification case against presidential front-runner Sen. Grace Poe because he wanted a “clean and honest” elections. INQUIRER PHOTO
Former Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon revealed on Tuesday that members of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) and opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) approached him to file a disqualification case against presidential front-runner Sen. Grace Poe.
But Gordon, who was eyeing a return in the Senate, said he did not accept the proposition of some LP and UNA members and even former schoolmates from University of the Philippines because he wanted a clean and honest elections.
“I was approached by members of UNA, some members of the Liberal Party, some of my schoolmates in UP, some of my friends … In fairness to them, there is a case but leave it be. It can be decided by the Supreme Court either way. It can decide vox populi suprema lex—the people have spoken and therefore that is the fundamental law,” Gordon said in an interview with ANC Headstart.
“But I’m not interested in getting it from the backdoor. I want to make sure that the people realize that if they’re going to have a country, if they will have real leaders, they have to have honest-to-goodness, clean, fair elections. You don’t have that right now. The field is not level,” he added.
Gordon filed his certificate of candidacy for senator last week, saying he would run as a guest candidate for UNA and the independent tandem of Poe and Sen. Francis Escudero.
READ: Dick Gordon: I would have loved to run for president, but …
The incumbent Philippine Red Cross chair joined the senatorial race in the 2013 midterm elections, but fell short in making the cut and placed 13th.
If Poe will be unseated due to the citizenship issues being hurled against her, Gordon will be eligible for a Senate seat.
Gordon said Poe herself thanked him for not pursuing the disqualification case.
Poe is currently facing disqualification cases before the Commission on Elections and the Senate Electoral Tribunal, the latest of which was filed by former Sen. Francisco “Kit” Tatad. Yuji Vincent Gonzales/RC
READ: Poe faces new poll disqualification suit
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