Poe willing to answer questions, discuss citizenship with Aquino

Senator Grace Poe said she is willing to sit down with President Benigno Aquino III to explain and answer any questions about her citizenship.

Aquino admitted last week being confused about Poe’s predicament and said he saw logic in the decision of the Commission on Elections’ Second Division to disqualify her in the 2016 presidential race.

READ: Aquino admits being confused over Poe’s citizenship, residency

“Siguro ang pwede ay mag-usap kami uli ng ating Pangulo kung meron syang mga tanong tungkol dito,” Poe told reporters on Monday.

(Maybe I can talk with the President again if he has questions about this.)

“Para sakin naman, kompyansa nga kami sa mga nasumite. Merong mga logical na mga bagay pero meron ding mga bagay na hindi kasi isinama dun sa kanilang decision katulad ng mga sinumite naming mga pruweba, hindi naman po nasama kasi sa decision ‘yan ng Comelec noong pinamahagi nila, hindi nakalagay dun lahat ng mga petsa o kung ano-anong mga bagay. Siguro pwedeng matingnan rin sana ‘yun,” she added.

(For me, I am confident with what we submitted. There are logical things but there are things that are not also included in the decision like the evidence that we submitted, it was not included in the Comelec’s decision, the dates and other things there. Maybe it should also be taken into account.)

Aquino said that he was courting Poe to be the running mate of former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, they discussed the questions on her citizenship and residency but the senator’s explanation was not as “detailed as it was presented” in the decision of the Comelec’s Second Division.

Poe said there was an open discussion on the issue because at that time the President was pursuing her to become Roxas’ running mate, they already anticipated that it would be raised against her.

“Nakita na nga na magkakaroon ng balakid dahil nga dun sa aking natural born status tapos noong June pa lang, nakita naman natin na yung sa kabila nilabas na din nila na merong kwestyon din dun sa residency kaya noong nag-uusap kami, ‘yun naman po ay bukas na diskusyon,” she said.

(They saw that there will some problems with my natural born status and then as early as June, we already saw that the other camp raised questions on the residency that’s when we were discussing about it, it was an open discussion.)

READ: Poe appeals Comelec DQ ruling | Comelec 2nd division disqualifies Grace Poe from presidential race

Poe remained confident that she has a strong case at the Comelec.

“Hinihiling ko lang kahit konting pagtingin sa aming mga dokumentong naisumite sapagkat kung titingnan naman nila ito, tingin ko naman ay maliliwanagan din naman nila na ako talaga’y residente dito nang higit pa sa takdang panahon na nararapat para makatakbo at isa pa rin siguro na rin ay dapat talaga ay lahat nang nais na tumakbo ay bigyan talaga ng pagkakataon sapagkat ang huli at ang dulo naman nyan ay ang taumbayan ang dapat an na magdesisyon,” she further said.

(I only wish for a review of the documents we submitted because if they would examine those, I think they would understand that I am truly a resident here for more than the required period for candidacy, and another thing is that perhaps they should also give a chance to all those who wish to run [for public office] because in the end, it would be the people who must decide.)

The Comelec’s Second Division has ruled to disqualify Poe for allegedly making false statements about her period of residency in the country and her status as a natural-born Filipino. But the case could still be appealed at the Comelec en banc and at the Supreme Court. CDG