Villar doubts SET decision on Poe would be reversed

Senator Cynthia Villar expressed doubts on Tuesday that the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) would reverse its ruling against the disqualification case against Senator Grace Poe.

Villar was one of the five member-senators of the SET who voted to junk the quo warranto petition filed against Poe by defeated senatorial bet Rizalito David over her citizenship.

“Ay hindi (No),” Villar said when asked if she thinks the SET would still reverse its decision against the case.

“I think ang more na tatanungin natin would be after us, ‘yung motion for reconsideration sa SET, kung ‘yun din ang decision, then he goes to the SC, doon ang fight,” she said, referring to David, who appealed against the tribunal’s decision.

(I think what we should ask about would be that after us, the decision of the SET on the motion for reconsideration would be the same, then he goes to the SC, that’s where the fight is.)

READ: ‘Decision on Poe not purely legal’

Villar said it would be difficult to explain if a member who voted against the case would suddenly change his or her decision.

The four other SET members who voted against the case were Senators Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Bam Aquino.

Villar said she would no longer change her vote, explaining that she conducted a study and research and even consulted two lawyers before she reached the decision.

“It’s a combination ng ating mga advocacies and the same time may basis naman din sa legal (It’s a combination of our advocacies and, at the same, it has also legal basis),” she further explained.

Besides, Villar said, David failed to prove that Poe or her parents were not Filipinos.

“Nanaig din ‘yung pagka-foundling nya, ‘yung advocacy natin towards children and then, at the same time, ‘yung will of the people; kasi she was elected, so that must be the will of the people, so sa amin, may weight din ‘yun, ‘yung will of the people.”

(Her status as a foundling also prevailed, as well as our advocacy toward children and then, at the same time, the will of the people; she was elected, so that must be the will of the people, so for us, that also has weight, the will of the people.)

READ: Pia Cayetano backs Duterte but stands by decision to junk Poe case

She also rejected criticisms that their decision in favor of Poe was just political.

“Bakit naging political (Why would that be political)? I can’t understand that when the basis [is your] child advocacy, that’s not political. And when the basis is the will of the people, that’s not political. It’s the wish of the people,” she said.

“And at the same time, sinasabi nga nila kung hindi dapat i-consider yun, dapat nilagay sa SET would be all justices, hindi nila nilagyan ng senator (they say that [the decision] should not be considered, that the SET should be composed of all justices, no senators). The mere fact that [the membership of the SET] is a combination of justices and senators that means [there are other considerations] other than [just legal ones].” CDG