Grace Poe all smiles after SET junks disqualification case

Senator Grace Poe. FILE PHOTO

Senator Grace Poe, who is leading the pre-election surveys for president, was ecstatic when she announced during a dialogue at a university in Biñan, Laguna that the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) voted to junk a petition that seeks to unseat her in the Senate.

READ: SET denies disqualification case vs Grace Poe–sources

The quo warranto petition was filed against her by defeated senatorial bet Rizalito David over her citizenship. The petitioner later filed his certificate of candidacy for president in 2016.

Poe was all smiles when arrived at the University of Perpetual Help System around 2pm on Tuesday. She went directly to students waiting for her, shook their hands and told reporters covering her: “Salamat. Akala ko mami-miss ko na kayo.”

When she finally faced the crowd of students, the senator announced the good news that she received while she was on her way to the university.

“Natanggap ko ang balita at nasabi na rin ito na paborable po tayong dineklara ng SET na hindi madi-disqualify,” she told the students.

“Alam niyo po, hindi ko makakalimutan itong University of Perpetual Help System sapagkat dito ko nalaman ang magandang balita na yan.”

READ: Poe-Escudero, 5 senatorial bets woo Calamba residents

Poe then thanked the five senators in the SET, who voted to junk the petition, and they were Senators Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Loren Legarda, Cynthia Villar, Pia Cayetano, and Bam Aquino, a member of the Liberal Party, whose standard-bearer in 2016 is former Secretary Mar Roxas,

The sixth and only senator who voted to disqualify Poe was Senator Nancy Binay.

“Nais ko pong pasalamatan mula sa kaibuturan ng aking puso ang mga nanindigan para sa hustisya, ang mga nanindigan para sa mga batang abandonado at ampon, maraming salamat po Senator Tito Sotto, Senator Loren Legarda, Senator Cynthia Villar, Senator Bam Aquino, at Senator Pia Cayetano,” she said.

“Ito pong aking panalo ay hindi panalo lamang na personal, ito po ay panalo ng bawat isa sa inyo na umaasa na ang ating bayan ay mas aayos at malalagay sa tama…” she further said.

Interviewed by reporters after the event, Poe said she was “extremely surprised, very surprised” because she already prepared herself that she might not be able to pursue her presidential bid.

“Basta sinasabi ko sa aking sarili, ginagawa ko ito hindi para sa akin kung hindi para sa ating lahat, kaya yun ang nagbibigay ng inspirasyon at lakas sa atin,” she said.

Poe also acknowledged though that her battle was not yet over.

“Hindi pa, hindi pa ito tapos pero magandang showing ito. Magandang showing,” said the senator.

Poe said she was also happy that Sen. Aquino voted to junk the case based on his beliefs and not because of “party politics.”

She said it was also a “higher level of victory” that somebody like Cayetano was on her side.

“And I thank her also for upholding justice in this case and for thinking of the welfare of the thousands of foundlings in our country and especially for respecting the votes of the people who cast their votes in 2013,” Poe added.