Poe, Escudero endorse Lorna Kapunan’s Senate bid

(UPDATE) Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero endorsed on Friday their third senatorial candidate in the person of lawyer Lorna Kapunan, who described herself as an “unknown quantity.”

Poe and Escudero have earlier endorsed the senatorial bids of Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares and Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno.

Poe said having a lawyer who fights for the rights of women, children and men as well would be an addition in their senatorial ticket.

READ: Senatorial bet Lorna Kapunan says she is PH’s ‘ticket of hope’ | Kapunan’s Aksyon party ‘adopts’ Grace Poe

“Ako’y masaya dahil si Atty. Lorna at marami syang kakilalang abugado at siguro sa dami ng kaso na pina-file sa akin, mas maraming makakutulong sa akin…” she said in her speech, referring to the disqualification cases filed against her over her citizenship. Her remark drew some laughters from the audience.

(I’m happy because Atty Lorna knows a lot of lawyers and maybe they can help me in many cases being filed against me)

Turning serious, the senator said: “Hindi. Focus lang po tayo sapagkat ang ating kaso naman po ay isang kaso na dapat lang nating labanan sapagkat hindi lang ito nakakaapekto sa atin kundi marami pang mga ibang bata kaya alam ko itoy malapit din sa mga puso ninyo.”

Before this, Poe could not help but become emotional when the emcee, newspaper columnist, Cito Beltran, introduced her.

“Yung susunod po nating tagapagsalita, hindi po natin pinulot, pinili natin,” Beltran said.

“Mabuti na yung nagkakalinawan…yan po ay naninilbihan, nakikipagharap ng maayos, magalang at walang kababuyan. Hindi po dapat binaboy, sya o ay dapat sinusuportahan. Walang iba kundi ang pinili ng bayan na maging susunod na pangulo, si Senator Grace Poe,” he said.

In response, Poe said: “Marami pong salamat sa inyong madamdamig introduction para sa akin, malaking bagay po ang iyong sinabi dahil talaga ang mga bata, gusto naman nilang marinig na sila’y minahal at pinili.”

Escudero said they chose Kapunan to be part of their slate because of her courage, intelligence and advocacies.

“Mula sa malayo kong kinalalagyan, hinangaan ko na po si Atty. Lorna dahil sa kanyang tapang, dahil sa kanyang talino dahil sa kanyang paninindigan at dahil hindi sya marunogn umatras sa anomang laban,” he said.

“Maganda rin ho ang kalooban nya..” the senator added, eliciting laughter from the audience.

“Napili po namin sya ni Senator Grace dahil sa mga katangiang yan. Dahil sa mga katangiang yan ang rason din kung bakit marapat at dapat suportahan at tulungan nating lahat ang kanyang mithiin, ang kanyang layunin, ang kanyang pangarap upang maging myebro ng Senado sa darating na halalan at sa darating na taon,’ Escudero added.

Photo by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

But even before the endorsements of the two senators, Kapunan already thanked them for including her in their team.

“I’d like to thank personally Ms. Grace and Sir Chiz for believing in me. I’m an unknown quantity, you only hear about my reputation in the private sector pero…nagpapasalamat ako at pinagbigyan nyo ako ng pagkakataon para sumama sa team na mananalo para sa bayan na ito,” she said.

Kapunan belongs to Aksyon Demokratiko of the late former senator Raul Roco.

In return, the group through its president, Bobbit Roco, also endorsed Poe and Escudero for president and vice president, respectively.

Aside from Poe and Escudero, the lawyer also got the endorsement of former Chief Justice Renato Puno, who gave his message through audio visual presentation.

Puno said the Senate needs a lawyer like Kapunan who is not only expert in Philippine law but also in international law. TVJ

RELATED VIDEO