Poe to Duterte: Don’t step down, finish your term

Senator Grace Poe and President Rodrigo Duterte. FILE PHOTOS

Senator Grace Poe has this friendly advice to President Rodrigo Duterte, who has repeatedly expressed his readiness to resign from his post: Just finish your term.

This after Duterte made a remark Tuesday night that he would like Poe to become president someday but the Constitution must be amended first to allow foundlings like her to run for the post.

READ: Duterte: Poe can be President someday if Constitution allows foundlings to run

“Unang-una ako ay nagpapasalamat sa tiwala ng ating Pangulo. Malaking bagay yan personally at politically at salamat sa pagpapahalaga sa mga foundlings. Pero ang ating Pangulo ang pinili ng ating mga kababayan at dapat tapusin nya ang kanyang termino,” Poe told reporters on Wednesday.

The senator reminded Duterte that he was elected by Filipinos for a six-year term and that he should finish it.

So when asked if the President should just drop his Charter change (Cha-Cha) initiatives so he could step down, Poe said: “Basta  ako kasi naniniwala ako na sagrado ang boto ng ating mga kababayan. So kung ikaw ay itinalaga ng anim na taon, dapat talaga na tapusin mo yung termino na yun.”

“Kung kelangan talaga natin magkaroon ng Charter change, sabi ko  nga  dapat hindi padalos-dalos at siguro pagkatapos na ng kanyang termino,” she added.

Poe said her being a foundling should not be used as a reason to change the entire Constitution.

Besides, she pointed out that no less than the Supreme Court had already ruled that foundlings like her could run for the post.

“Pagdating sa mga ampon na katulad ko at mga foundlings, sa tingin ko naman malinaw na ang naging decision ng  Korte Suprema. Ako’y nagpapasalamat dito na mismo na rin ang ating Pangulo ay iginagalang ito,” she said.

“Hindi naman ito nangangahulugan na dahil lamang sa sitwasyon ko o sa sitwasyon ng iilan ay mapalitan ang buong Constitution kung hindi naman ito nangangilangan sa panahon na ito,” Poe added.