Drilon wants SC to quit Christmas break to deal with Poe case

Senate President Franklin Drilon (left) belies the claim of Sen. Grace Poe that the Liberal Party was behind her disqualification before the Comelec. INQUIRER FILES

The Supreme Court should postpone its Christmas break this year so it can decide with dispatch on the disqualification case filed against Senator Grace Poe, Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Thursday.

Drilon, vice chair of the Liberal Party, made the call as he expects the case to reach the SC once the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) decided with finality on the issue.

The SET already junked the case filed by presidential wannabe Rizalito David seeking to unseat Poe as senator while the Comelec Second Division granted a petition filed by lawyer Estrella Elamparo seeking to disqualify her from running for president in 2016.

The SET is set to decide on David’s appeal this Thursday while Poe’s camp is expected to appeal the Elemparo case at the Comelec en banc.

With the case expected to reach the high court, Drilon urged the SC to act on it with dispatch.

“Ipagpaliban siguro muna nila ang kanilang bakasyon, ang Christmas break, para lang madesisyunan ito dahil kinabukasan ng ating bayan, ng ating pamahalaan ang nakasalalay dito,” he said in an interview over dzRH.

“Kapag nagkagulo either way, halimbawa, eh yung printing ng balota ay wala ang pangalan ni Sen.Grace Poe tapos ang sabi ng Korte Suprema ay dapat kasama siya, naloko na tayo. The opposite is also true.”

“Kaya sa akin, sa lalong madaling panahon, ipagpaliban na po muna ng Korte Suprema ang kanilang bakasyon, pagdesisyunan na sa lalong madaling panahon ito in time for the printing of the ballots,” Drilon added.

He reiterated the denial that the Liberal Party, which is endorsing the presidential bid of Poe’s rival, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, dipped its fingers in her case before the Comelec.

“Mayroong mga nagsasabi na pinakialaman ng Partido Liberal iyan. Hindi totoo iyan. Yan ang desisyon ng Comelec, out of their own perception kung ano ang batas, ano ang facts,” said the Senate leader.

Drilon pointed out how an LP member, Senator Bam Aquino, voted in favor of Poe at the SET.

“Hindi ba kung may party line kami, e di dapat sumunod si Senator Bam bilang miyembro ng aming partido at bilang kinatawan ng Partido Liberal doon mismo sa SET? Eh bumoto siya in favor of Grace Poe,” he said.

“Kaya walang katotohanan na itong desisyon na ito ay dahilan sa Partido Liberal at yan pong desisyon ay appealable pa dyan sa Commission en banc and ultimately, aabot iyan sa Korte Suprema.”

He said Poe’s camp should not also worry the Comelec commissioners that will decide on the case were all appointed by President Benigno Aquino III.

“Alam mo, sino ang mag-aappoint? By some stroke of chance ay ang Pangulo ang nag-appoint, pero ako ay naniniwala na independent ang Comelec at ang kanilang termino sa Comelec ay definite.”

“Kaya nga sa ating Saligang Batas may definite terms yun nasa Comelec at maalis mo lang yan through impeachment. Kaya walang dapat kabahan na in-appoint ng Pangulo ang commissioners sa Comelec. Kaya nga to remove that partisanship, binibigyan sila ng fixed term. Hindi sila pwede alisin kung hindi sa pamamagitan ng impeachment,” Drilon added.