Kin of Poe’s alleged mother asks for privacy with exhumation process

Senator Grace Poe. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ MARIAANE BERMUDEZ

The family of Senator Grace Poe’s alleged mother has requested the media to respect their privacy and “not to air or show footage of the exhumation process” of the senator’s supposed biological parents.

Poe’s spokesman, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian, confirmed that the relatives of the senator’s alleged mother, Victoria Rodriguez, had offered for the exhumation of the latter’s body and Poe’s supposed father.

Gatchalian said that during Poe’s last visit to Iloilo, members of the Rodriguez family approached her and offered the information that they might be relatives.

“Sen. Poe’s lawyers made arrangements for DNA samples to be taken. The doctor who is a forensic pathologist needed more DNA samples. The Rodriguez family offered for the exhumation of the bodies of Sen. Poe’s supposed biological parents,” the spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The Rodriguez family offered this option because they also wanted to know the truth once and for all,” Gatchalian said.

Throughout this interaction, the spokesman said that the Rodriguez family was making arrangements with Poe’s lawyers and not with the senator herself.

“In fact, upon finding out, Sen. Poe commented, ‘nalulungkot ako na kailangan pa umabot sa ganito para mapatunayan pagkatao ko,'” Gatchalian said, apparently referring to the Rodriguez family’s plan to exhume the body of Poe’s supposed parents.

But while the Rodriguez family expressed their willingness to help the senator find her real parents, Gatchalian said, “They are also asking media to please respect their privacy and not to air or show footage of the exhumation process.”