Poe calls for magnanimity, reconciliation after SC ruling

Senator Grace Poe. PHOTO BY: JAY MORALES

CANDELARIA, Quezon — Presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday called for “magnanimity” and reconciliation amid talks of possible impeachment moves against Supreme Court justices who voted to allow her to run for president in May.

“All of those legal wranglings and all of those legal questions I believe were already settled by the Supreme Court. It’s up to them if they don’t believe it,” Poe said when asked during a press conference here about the alleged impeachment moves by petitioners in the disqualification cases against her.

“There should be magnanimity. Ayoko ng patulan sila basta kami ay nagpapasalamat sa Korte sa kanilang decision (I don’t want to get back at them; we are just thankful to the Court for its decision),” she said.

READ: SC rules in favor of Poe in DQ case

While she recognized the right of a person to file an impeachment complaint against anyone, Poe believes there was no basis to impeach the justice for deciding in her favor.

“Subalit sabi ko nga kung sino man ang nasa likod nito, hindi ako maghihiganti sa kanila dahil lamang dito sa mga ginagawa nila. Mas mabuti pang ituloy na natin ang mga gusto nating gawing kabutihan sa ating bansa so ‘yun na lang siguro lahat tayo magkakasundu-sundo na lang du’n,” she said.

(As I said, whoever is behind this, I won’t get back at them just because of their maneuverings. It is better if we just unite for the good we want to do for our country.)

READ: Grace Poe: For me, it is already a victory

”Pasensya na po na sinapit ninyo ‘yan, lahat naman po tayo dito ay nagdusa din,” the senator added.

(I’m sorry you had to endure that, but all of us suffered here.)

If there was betrayal or any violation in the Constitution, this has been committed by election commissioners who voted to disqualify Poe from the presidential race over her citizenship and residency, her running mate, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, said in the same press con.

“The Supreme Court is the final arbiter to determine and say what the law is. The Supreme Court said, mali ang Comelec (The Commission on Elections is wrong), they abused their discretion that’s why they (SC) granted the petition of Senator Grace,” Escudero said, referring to Poe’s petition seeking to reverse the Comelec’s cancellation of her certificate of candidacy for president.

The high tribunal, voting 9-6, granted Poe’s petition.

“Kung may betrayal man o paglabag sa batas, ‘yung Comelec commissioners na bomoto laban kay Senator Grace ang gumawa nu’n,” he said.

(If there were a betrayal or violation of the law, the Comelec commissioners who voted against Senator Grace were the ones who committed it.)

READ: Comelec committed abuses vs Poe, SC told

“Sa kasaysayan ng bansa natin—kahit sa kasaysayan ng impeachment—wala pa sigurong mahistrado na na impeached dahil sa kanyang decision…Kung mangyayari ‘yan, bawat mahistrado siguro ang dami ng impeachment complaint kung bawat natatalong abugado ‘yan ang gagawin,” Escudero added.

(In the history of our nation—even in the history of impeachment—no justice has been impeached because of his decision. If that will happen, then all the justices will be bombarded with impeachment complaints by losing lawyers.) IDL

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