LP not behind Poe’s disqualification petition, official says

Senator Grace Poe. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JEOFFREY MAITEM

(UPDATE) An official denied the Liberal Party (LP) was behind the filing of a disqualification case against Senator Grace Poe before the Senate Electoral Tribunal.

In a statement Wednesday, LP Secretary General and Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento said the LP is only for a positive style of campaigning instead of resorting to mudslinging to bring down the party’s opponents.

He denied a text blast that said LP political affairs chair Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice gave two-time senatorial loser Rizalito David the money to file a quo warranto petition against Poe to unseat her from the Senate over her issue of being a foundling.

READ: Losing senatorial bet fails to file petition to unseat Poe due to lack of filing fee

David was a day late in filing the disqualification case because he didn’t have the P50,000 for filing fee. He filed the petition the next day or last Thursday after collecting the funds from his friends.

Sarmiento also denied that Erice gave David the filing fee.

“It was obvious that the real culprits are trying to pin the blame on LP political affairs chair and Caloocan City Congressman Edgar Erice because after the filing, a text blast quickly followed naming him as the one who gave the filing fee to Mr. David. That’s a classic false flag tactic which was used by the Germans to justify their invasion of Poland ,” Sarmiento said.

He said the petition against Poe was a “false flag tactic” to spark a conflict between the LP and Poe, who is being wooed to run as Vice President to boost the popularity of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.

Dubbed as operation “Atake Hila,” Erice supposedly paid David to file the petition to force Poe to run as Roxas’ vice president, according to the text message.

The text message alleged the LP has already talked to tribunal members Senators Loren Legarda and Cynthia Villar, and Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

Sarmiento said while other people are resorting to mudslinging, the LP would stick to “positive propaganda” to highlight the administration bet Roxas’ qualifications to run for president.

“It’s just sad that some people are using name-calling and foul personal attacks to bring down their perceived political rivals. We at LP are not only committed to reform the old and corrupt system of governance but we are also working hard to also change our prevailing political culture. Mar Roxas and the entire LP team will campaign based on what we have done and what we intend to do,” Sarmiento said.

“LP will only use positive propaganda in our campaign for the 2016 elections. Our message will be the track record of our candidates and our platform of government,” he added.

Erice had also denied having a hand in Poe’s disqualification case.

In David’s petition before the Senate Electoral Tribunal, he said Poe is not qualified to run for president much less to remain as senator because she is not a natural-born citizen, being a foundling.

Poe was abandoned in a church in Jaro, Iloilo province before she was adopted by the late action star Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ) and actress Susan Roces.

“Being a foundling, her parents are not known and cannot be presumed as Filipino citizens, hence she cannot claim or acquire the status of a natural-born citizen,” David said. TVJ

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