Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said Monday that the five member-senators of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) were “sincerely wrong” when they voted to junk the disqualification case against Senator Grace Poe.
The five senators are Cayetano’s sister, Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Cynthia Villar, Bam Aquino, and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
“Having a sister or a brother or a father or a son in government doesn’t mean that you will always vote the same. You will vote (based on your) conscience, you will vote according to your analysis so that’s why I’m saying I believe she and her companions were sincere but they are sincerely wrong,” the Majority Leader said of the five senators.
Asked if he was disappointed by the decision of his sister, Cayetano said he was dismayed at the decision of the entire SET.
“Kasi nga pag si Grace ay No. 5 sa survey talo yan di ba? Malinaw na political ang decision…” he said, noting that the decision was made because Poe has been leading the presidential surveys “and everyone wants to be in good graces with Grace because she’s leading the surveys.”
Cayetano also contradicted Poe’s claim that the issue was not about her but about all foundlings in the country, noting that the issue is legal and will be decided eventually by the Supreme Court.
“So this is really about Grace Poe, it’s about someone who has powerful backers, at mataas sa survey, and who are willing to bend the rules, who are willing to reinterpret the Constitution,” he said.
“So malinaw na malinaw ang Constitution na kailangang klaro na natural born Filipino para hindi ma-represent yung foreign interests . E paano kung maging presidente natin hindi kilala ang nanay at tatay, and it turns out na buong pamilya na sa China…so hindi ba maapektuhan ang decision pagdating sa West Philippine Sea…?”
(The Constitution is very clear on the natural-born Filipino issue so that foreign interests will not be represented. What if we don’t know the parents of the next president and it turns out that the whole family is in China…so that could affect any decision on the West Philippine Sea?)
Cayetano also noted how Poe’s running mate, Senator Francis Escudero, was trying to make the issue an “emotional” one by describing a foundling like Poe as “isang batang dinampot.”
He then called on Poe to think hard if it was worth it to trample on the Constitution just to pursue her presidential ambition.
“Pag isipan nya. Is it worth it? Senator Grace, is it worth na ibasura mo yung Constitution para lang maging presidente ka?”
“Once upon a time, sabi mo mahal mo ang pamilya mo kaya nagpaka Amerikano ka so ngayon kung mahal mo ang bansa mo, pick a president na purong Pilipino na natural born para ang Constitution nyo masigurado.”
“Now if and when and I hope it happens ma-trace talaga ang parent and mukha namang Pilipino talaga ang parent, then pwede ka. And you will have many many, much much support. But until that time hindi pwedeng presumptive president,” he further said.
If Poe indeed loved the country, Cayetano said she should prevent a constitutional crisis or should not bend the Constitution just to become president.
“She can support anyone, she can support Senator Escudero pero yung wala syang katiyakan…so she’s willing to bend the law, the Constitution dahil gusto nyang tumakbo?”
“Sa akin lang naman, a friendly advise. I-balance nya ang desire nya na maging presidente dun sa yung mangyayari sa Constitution at batas,” Cayetano added.