Amado D. Valdez INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
Former University of the East Law Dean Amado Valdez on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision allowing Senator Grace Poe to run for president in the upcoming May national elections.
In his motion for reconsideration, Valdez maintained that Poe failed to comply with the citizenship and residency requirements under the Constitution.
READ: SC asked to reverse ruling on Poe DQ case
Under Article VII of the Constitution, two of the basic qualifications for an individual to be allowed to seek the highest position in the land are being a natural-born Filipino citizen and has been a resident of the country for 10 years.
Poe insisted that she re-acquired her natural-born citizenship after her repatriation pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act.
However, Valdez said Poe cannot invoke RA 9225.
“You just re-acquired Philippine citizenship [but] not natural-born status,” Valdez said.
Based on the deliberations in Congress and the bicameral conference, Valdez said it is clear that lawmakers have no intention to give back the natural-born status to repatriates.
READ: Petitioners vs Grace Poe ask SC to reconsider
“Our lawmakers believe that giving back their natural-born status is a violation of that sense of nationhood,” Valdez said adding that since Poe is invoking RA 9225, she should only be considered as a naturalized citizen but not a natural-born Filipino.
“Hindi lang siya hindi natural-born, itinakwil pa niya ang kanyang pagiging Filipino citizen,” Valdez said referring to Poe.
(Not only does she lack the natural-born [citizenship], she also renounced her Filipino [citizenship].)
Voting 9-6, the high court ruled that there was no material misrepresentation on the part of Poe when she filled up her certificate of candidacy (COC).
Valdez added that the Constitution should not be sacrificed for Poe.
“Wala namang nagawang heroism pa si Grace Poe (Grace Poe has not yet done any heroism) to sacrifice the Constitution for her. Why should we sacrifice the Constitution for one who has not really shown her patriotism?” Valdez told reporters.
Valdez’s motion is the third motion filed seeking a reversal of the decision allowing Poe to run for president. RAM