Poe lawyer hopeful of swift SC ruling on DQ cases

Senator Grace Poe during a presconference in Tarlac City, following the Comelec first division’s canceling of her certificate of candidacy for president. Poe said her camp expected the ruling. INQUIRER/ MARIANME BERMUDEZ

The lawyer of presidential frontrunner Senator Grace Poe is clinging on the possibility that the Supreme Court (SC) would swiftly decide on the disqualification cases lodged against his client.

At a press conference held recently, lawyer George Garcia said the SC could rule on Poe’s case as early as January.

“Baka nga sakali, pagkatapos ng oral arguments na gagawin sa Enero 19, maglalabas na ang Korte Suprema agad-agad ng desisyon. Posible yun,” Garcia said.

The lawyer said that the high court would rule swiftly on the case as it was of “transcendental importance.”

The SC set the oral arguments on Poe’s disqualification cases, as well on the petition of presidential hopeful Rizalito David to overturn the decision of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET), on January 19.

On December 28, the SC issued two temporary restraining orders (TRO’s) barring the Commission on Elections from implementing its en banc’s ruling to cancel Poe’s certificate of candidacy.

Failing to secure the TRO’s would have spelled doom for Poe as her name would have been removed from the list of candidates on the initial ballot.

“Mas gusto namin na may desisyon agad para mawala ang agam-agam. At least, darating ang katotohanan, walang agam-agam, lalo pa’t kami ay papalarin,” Garcia said.

Poe’s camp earlier moved for the inhibition of three SC justices and SET members on Poe’s disqualification cases: Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo de Castro and Arturo Brion since they voted to disqualify Poe as senator.

Poe has stated that she will respect the decision of the Supreme Court on her case.

“Naniniwala tayo at tayo’y nananalig sa integridad ng ating mga miyembro ng Korte Suprema, kung sinuman ang nagtalaga sa kanila. Sa tingin ko, ang kanilang panunumpa ay gawin ang trabaho nila, hindi para sa tayong naglagay sa kanila doon, kundi sa mga tao na dapat ay pinagsisilbihan nila,” she said.