Queries on ‘legitimacy’ irk Poe in Pangasinan

CALASIAO, Pangasinan, Philippines — Constant queries about her legitimacy to seek the presidency are starting to irritate Sen. Grace Poe.

“Your questions suggest you have lost focus. What solutions do we have for the nation is a question that should be asked. The public needs to know what we can do for them,” Poe told reporters here on Wednesday.

Four disqualification cases have been filed against Poe, claiming she’s not a natural-born Filipino citizen or questioning her compliance with the requirement for a 10-year residency in the Philippines on presidential candidates.

Poe attended the launching of a northern Luzon regional and provincial coordinators’ conference composed of her supporters and campaign volunteers.

“For me, it’s simple. What do our people need? Quality jobs, health, and education programs. Those should be the things that should be explained,” she said.

But she said she was not avoiding the questions on her legitimacy to run for president. “All these questions would be answered. I will accept all the legal issues and I will respond truthfully to each of these,” she said.

The conference was held at the Regency Hotel, which served as the local campaign headquarters of Poe’s adoptive father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., when he ran for president in 2004.

Poe said her father has been her biggest election capital. “Everything I do, say, and think is inspired by my father. I would not want to shame his legacy,” she said.

Poe also held a dialogue with residents of Barangay Nalsian, which was heavily flooded when Typhoon “Lando” battered the province last month.

She also attended the graduation ceremony of the University of Luzon where she was conferred an honorary doctoral degree in public administration.

During her talk with her supporters, Poe said: “I need integrity so my principles would not waver. I need intelligence so I could make good decisions. I also need energy to enable me to travel around the country.”

Poe considers integrity as the most important quality she values.

She also said coming to Pangasinan was “like going home” because her father traced his roots to San Carlos City. “My father was from here. His relatives are still here. Pangasinan is close to my heart,” she said.

Poe said her visits to the province gave her the chance to learn about its problems.

“You know, in the country, there are still 500,000 hectares [of farmlands] that are not irrigated. Pangasinan is also always affected by floods, especially its central part,” she said.

On the proposal to build an international airport in Alaminos City, Poe said, “An airport was one of the projects suggested and discussed with me by the people here. I am in favor of studying the [construction of] of the airport because it is needed by Pangasinan, which is one of the most populous provinces in the country.”

She said the airport would not necessarily handle international flights. “The airport can help the agricultural sector and in bringing in relief goods during calamities,” she added.  SFM