Grace Poe slapped with 4th disqualification case by ex-law dean

A former law dean says presidential aspirant Sen. Grace Poe lost her natural-born status when she renounced her citizenship to become an American. Dean Amado Valdez said Poe reacquired Filipino citizenship but not natural-born state. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Former University of the East College of Law Dean Amado Valdez on Monday filed a disqualification case against presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe over citizenship issues.

Valdez filed the petition at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) headquarters in Intramuros, Manila, Radyo Inquirer reported.

According to the former law dean, Poe lost her natural-born status when she renounced her Filipino citizenship to become a citizen of the United States.

“When you lost your citizenship, there’s no way you can reacquire your natural born status,” Valdez said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.

“At best, she is a repatriated Filipino citizen under Republic Act 9225 (Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003),” he added.

The law dean’s petition followed the disqualification cases filed by former senator Francisco “Kit” Tatad and De La Salle University political science professor Antonio Contreras against Poe, who is leading presidential preference surveys.

“Ang epekto ng kanyang renunciation of Filipino citizenship, ang sinasabi natin dito, even if she had reacquired her Filipino citizenship at nirenounce niya ‘yung kanyang American citizenship, ang nare-acquire niya ‘yung kanyang status as Filipino citizen but not natural-born,” Valdez said.

He added, “Sa Constitution, ang natural-born, hindi na kailangang gumawa pa ng hakbang para maging natural-born,” Valdez stressed.

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