Rizalito David. SCREENGRAB FROM INQUIRER.net VIDEO
Disqualified presidential aspirant Rizalito David on Friday asked the Supreme Court to push through with the oral argument on his petition questioning the decision of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) declaring that Senator Grace Poe was a natural-born Filipino citizen, which made her eligible to run in the 2013 senatorial elections.
In his urgent motion, David said it should set the oral arguments after the May 9 elections “in the interest of justice.”
“In the interest of justice – especially since more than three months had already elapsed from such time – and given the utmost importance of the case, it behooves the honorable court to schedule the said oral arguments,” David’s motion stated.
“It would be for the best interest of all concerned as well as the nation that the positions of the petitioner and the respondents be heard in oral arguments and that the case be resolved as expeditiously as possible,” he added.
In November last year, the SET dismissed a disqualification case against Poe.
READ: SET upholds ruling in favor of Poe
Voting 5-4, the nine member tribunal ruled against the case filed by David.
David filed a case with the SET to remove Poe from the Senate questioning if she was a natural-born Filipino. After the SET ruled in favor of Poe, he went to the high court asking a reversal of the decision.
BACKSTORY: David files second poll case vs Poe, wants her jailed
In December last year, the high court set the case for oral arguments for January 19 but deferred the proceedings after Poe filed a petition with the high court seeking a reversal of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ruling canceling her certificate of candidacy (COC) for president.
The high court proceeded with the oral argument on Poe’s petition. Last March, the high court issued a ruling declaring Poe qualified to run for President. IDL
READ: No more roadblocks: SC paves way for Grace Poe run