Lawyer says presidency is a complex twist of fate

Atty. Pearlito B. Campanilla, lead convenor of LEAP 2016.

“The Supreme Court has spoken. They will now throw everything at her,”quips Atty. Pearlito B. Campanilla, lead convenor of LEAP or Lawyers for an Election Advancing the People’s will.

The comment is in response to the decision of the Highest Tribunal qualifying Senator Grace Poe in the 2016 presidential race vis a vis the latest accusation against her that she committed identity theft by faking SS numbers while in the U.S.

“Why would she do that when she is married to a U.S. citizen? A spouse of a U.S. citizen does not need to fake his or her SS numbers for she will automatically get one. It is obvious that she is only being set up.

“Anybody who has a computer with internet access can make it appear that a person is committing identity theft without the knowledge and control of the person involved. Obviously this mudslinging will also backfire. They cannot stop her destiny of being the next president of the Philippines,” adds Campanilla.

Campanilla had observed early on that it was the group of Vice President Jejomar Binay who first threw mud at Senator Grace Poe by accusing her of failing to satisfy the constitutionally required natural born citizenship and 10-year residency for those seeking the presidency.

“With practically no judicial clout, appointees and perceived allies in the Supreme Court, initially this did not augur well for Senator Grace Poe who is said to be destined to taste the bitter of pill of disqualification from the Highest Tribunal. But was Senator Grace allowed to go this far just to be disqualified in the end?” says Campanilla.

The legal challenges against Senator Poe unintentionally became an emotional issue involving the rights of foundlings and Filipinos who are somewhat forced to migrate out of the country.

“Although some conceives this to be a sword of Damocles that will eliminate Senator Grace in the presidential race, it resulted in the public looking at it differently and treating it as an onslaught against the underdog members of the society to which they belong,” says Campanilla.

Thus the esteemed magistrates of the Supreme Court choose not to be indifferent and be insensitive to the possible backlash that might result in denying the people’s right to choose their own leader.

“Basing on the line of clarificatory questions asked by the honored justices during the Supreme Court’s oral argument proceedings, the configuration emerged making it obvious that Senator Grace Poe will be receiving more favorable votes and thus will remain a candidate in the 2016 presidential race,” he adds.

“For indeed, what possible state interest can there be for disqualifying a foundling from becoming a president. It was not the fault of the child that her parents abandoned her. The first popularly known foundling, Moses of the Old Testament, led the Israelis to the promise land and gave the world the ‘Ten Commandments of God.’ Just because a child is a foundling does not mean he or she cannot be the leader of a great nation,” he says.

On the issue of residency, Campanilla declares, “ It cannot be argued that for quite sometime now, economic crises have forced millions of Filipinos to leave their homes to work and live in foreign shores. Patriotism does not stop when a Filipino leave our borders. A candidate who espoused a contrary view will certainly not received votes from the millions of Filipinos who are staying or working abroad.”

“Thus, this attack against Poe with the purpose of putting at bay her would-be financial donors obviously backfired as the hype that was generated by this ridiculous machinations solidifies more her supporters, earns her sympathy votes, gives her free media mileage and lines her more to her destined path. And so with the other negative incident that happened in her life,” says the lawyer whose surname really rings a bell.

“Take the case of being a foundling for instance. Nothing stirs our emotions more than a child left behind. Had she not been abandoned, then she could have lived an ordinary life in the rural environment of Jaro Iloilo. She could have not been adopted by the movie industry icons Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces. Her being an adopted child was not easy for she was teased and taunted, bullied and traumatized, called ‘ampon’ or ‘pulot.’ But then she became challenged and learned to developed extra ordinary skills to deal with extra ordinary situations on a regular basis,” Campanilla argues.

Common sense dictates, Campanilla pointed out earlier on, that Sen. Poe could have migrated to the United States where she could have lived a peaceful, tranquil and prosperous life. Had her adoptive father won the presidency in 2004 then her sojourn in the US could have continued. But history had it that FPJ was cheated, lost and suffered a stroke which led to his early demise. It thus behooves on Senator Grace to carry the cudgel and carry on her father’s legacy. She then became the chairperson of the MTRCB and later on the highest voted senatorial candidate in history.

“Nonetheless, she was not anointed by President Noynoy Aquino to be the party’s standard bearer which in some ways proves to be better. With Secretary Mar Roxas numbers not improving, rumors abound that she is President Noynoy’s second or secret candidate. True or not, Senator Grace is receiving help and assistance from the president’s supporters unlike the anointed Secretary Mar who receives the flak and criticism of the present administration’s lackluster performance,” Campanilla emphasizes.

As a little girl all she wanted was to be an actress but it appears that destiny has other things stored for her.

“She is a small woman, barely over 5 feet, but appears to be with a very big heart. She is simple, her nails plain, most of the time unpainted, but she is always poised and prim. Her shiny shoulder-length hair pulled back in a ponytail never fails to endear her audience giving her the impression of readiness to do serious work.

“Her always white apparel gives her audience the belief that she is clean, sincere and trustworthy. She is definitely not just an illusion, a candidate obviously dressing-up. But then again, presidency is a matter of destiny,” Campanilla intimates.

“Well oiled political machinery, anointment by a President, riches and popularity are not guarantees that one will become President. It’s a complex twist of fate,” says Campanilla in conclusion.