Poe, Escudero, Senate bets officially start campaign in Quiapo

Tarpaulins displayed in front of Quiapo Church bear the images of senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero.  RICHARD A. REYES

Senator Grace Poe and her team Partido Galing at Puso (PGP) officially kicked off their campaign on Tuesday at the historic Plaza Miranda, just in front the Quiapo Church in Manila.

The start of the campaign came at a time as Poe continued to keep her lead in the latest presidential surveys conducted by the Pulse Asia and the Standard-Laylo and as the Supreme Court resumed its oral arguments on the disqualification cases against her.

READ: Poe regains lead; Binay, Roxas, Duterte in ‘statistical tie’—Pulse Asia | As campaign period starts, Poe keeps lead in Laylo poll

The SC is deliberating Poe’s petition seeking to reverse the Commission on Election’s decision cancelling her certificate of candidacy for president because of questions regarding her citizenship and residency.

A motion for reconsideration has also been filed at the SC seeking to reverse the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s dismissal of a quo warranto petition filed by defeated senatorial bet Rizalito David seeking to Poe as senator because of her citizenship.

Poe, in earlier statements and interviews, explained why she chose Plaza Miranda as the site of their kick off rally.

READ: Poe-Escudero party kick-off rally set for Tuesday

“Quiapo Church is significant because it is a symbol of the devotion of our people to the Black Nazarene, and their faith that nothing is insurmountable with God’s grace,” she said in a statement last week.

Poe said that her adoptive mother, Susan Roces, has also been a devotee of the Black Nazarene.

“Bata pa lang kasi ako, ‘yung nanay ko talagang deboto na ng Nazareno at nalipat niya ‘yun sa akin,” she said in another interview.

(Ever since I was a child, my mother was already a devotee of the Nazarene and she shared that with me.)

“Ang dami ko ng hamon sa buhay hindi lang naman dito sa pulitika. Pero ‘pag pumupunta ako doon gumagaan ang loob ko at marami ding mga nagdadasal doon na para bang pagtapos mong magpunta, ‘pag palabas ka na ilalapit sa’yo at sasabihing, ‘Ay, ‘wag kang susuko.’…magandang simbolo ‘yan kaya patuloy ko lang ginagawa,” the senator added.

(I have gone through a lot in life, not just in politics. But every time I go inside the church and after praying, I would feel like someone’s telling me not to give up. It has a symbolic meaning to my life, so I continue to do it.)

Aegis song number opens rally

A medley song number from the female group Aegis opened the kick off rally of the Partido Galing at Puso led by its standard-bearer, Senator Grace Poe, at the Plaza Miranda in Quiapo Manila on Tuesday.

The program started shortly after 4:00 p.m.

Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares were among the senatorial bets who first arrived at the venue.
Aside from Poe, also in attendance was her running mate, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

READ: Poe-Escudero rally to feature stars, not twerking dancers

Poe’s senatorial ticket is composed of Senators Vicent “Tito” Sotto III and Ralph Recto, former senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Richard Gordon, migrant workers advocate Susan Ople, Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, Congressmen Neri Colmenares, Samuel Pagdilao, Roman Romulo and Sherwin Gatchalian, lawyer Lorna Kapunan and actor Edu Manzano. IDL

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