Senator Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
Presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe said she is happy for her rival Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte after the Commission on Elections decided to accept his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president in 2016.
“Ang palagi ko namang position, dapat pahalagahan ang tinig ng taong bayan at para sa akin kung malinaw naman ang intensyon, bigyan naman ng pagkakataon,” Poe said in an interview in Quezon City on Friday.
(I’ve always maintained that the voice of the people should be heard. For me, if the intention is good, then it should be given an opportunity.)
“So masaya nga ako na natanggap niya ang kanyang COC dahil marami syang taga-suporta, maraming naniniwala na dapat mabigyan ng pagkakataon,” she added.
(I’m happy his COC was accepted because he has many supporters, many who believe he should be given a chance.)
Voting 6-1, the Comelec decided to validate Duterte’s and declare him an official candidate for president despite the error in the COC of Martin Diño, the original standard-bearer of PDP-Laban.
Poe also expressed hope that Comelec en banc would also decide in her favor on the issue of whether or not to include her in the ballots for 2016.
Both Poe and Duterte have a pending disqualification case at the Comelec.
“Yung prosesong legal po talaga ay pwede namang ipagpatuloy pa rin ang deliberasyon sa Korte Suprema. Hinihiling natin na masama pa rin ang pangalan ko sa balota. Nasa sa kanila yun, nasa mahistrado,” she said, reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision to start the oral arguments on January 19, 2016, on another disqualification case seeking to unseat her as senator.
(The legal process allows the continuation of deliberations in the Supreme Court. I’m hoping that my name will be included in the ballot. It’s in the hands of the justices.)
“Madaling tanggapin kung ano man ang sasapitin ko para sa aking sarili. Ang hindi natin tatanggapin ay ang kawalan ng tamang proseso na patas. Yan naman ang ating gustong baguhin sa ating pamahalaan ngayon, dapat mabigyan lahat ng patas na pagkakataon,” the senator added.
(It’s easy to accept whatever the decision is; what I can’t accept is the lack of the right process which is fair. That’s what we’ve been trying to change in government; all should be given a fair chance.)
The Comelec’s First and Second Divisions have already decided to disqualify Poe from the 2016 race for allegedly making false statements about her period of residency in the country and her status as a natural-born Filipino. But Poe appealed the decision with the Comelec en banc. The case is also expected to be elevated to the Supreme Court.
“Maraming nagtatanong, Senator na DQ na ba kayo? Hindi pa po, hindi pa po pinal ang proseso. Basta ipaglalaban natin at malakas ang basehan natin dito,” Poe said.
(Many have been asking whether I have already been disqualified. I tell them, No, the process is not yet over. I will continue to fight and I have a strong basis to wage this fight.)