Duterte on Poe after SC decision: ‘Goodluck to her, I wish her the best’

Senator Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

Update

“GOODLUCK to her and I wish her the best.”

So said presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to his rival Sen. Grace Poe after the Supreme Court voted 9-6 Tuesday to reverse the Commission on Elections’ decision disqualifying the lady senator from seeking the presidency in the May 9 elections.

READ: SC rules in favor of Poe in DQ case

Last November, Duterte broke his vow to stay out of the presidential derby and declared his bid to seek the presidency after the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) junked the disqualification cases against Poe.

He said he could not stomach the fact that the SET decision violated the Constitution’s provision on the qualifications for president.

He was vocal in assailing the decision of the SET which ruled that Poe is a natural-born Filipino and thus, could still assume her office and run for president.

Duterte is running as the standard-bearer of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Meanwhile, Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said he was “surprised by the decision of the Supreme Court overturning the disqualification case against Poe but was nevertheless happy for her as she is a friend.”

“May the best person win on May 9,” Pimentel said.

The senator, who is the president of the PDP Laban, said the high court’s decision” has no effect at all on Duterte’s campaign.”

“We never based our plans on the assumption that Poe would be disqualified on questions regarding her citizenship and residency,” he said.

Pimentel said Duterte and his running mate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano have “a coherent platform that addresses the main concerns of Filipinos today, which are crime, corruption and poverty.”

“We believe the Duterte-Cayetano’s platform of Tunay na Pagbabago will gain the support of more Filipinos as we approach the May election and we are confident that we will prevail once all the votes have been counted,” he said. RAM/AC

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