Poe’s latest ad violates judicial process, ex-senator says

Senator Grace Poe during a school visit at Camarines Norte State College in Daet.  ARNOLD ALMACEN

Former Senator Francisco “Kit” Tatad asked the Supreme Court on Monday to “take action” against the latest TV ad of Senator Grace Poe where the disqualification cases against her was mentioned.

Tatad, in his five-page urgent manifestation, said the ad violated the sanctity of the judicial processes.

“Given its content, there is no question that the ad is intended to sway the Honorable Supreme Court into ruling in favor of petitioner in the cases at bar, and thus, contumacious,” Tatad said through his counsel Manuelito Luna. 

“In these lights, the Honorable Court should take swift and appropriate action in order to preserve the sanctity of the proceedings as well as promote the interest of justice,” the manifestation further stated.

In Poe’s latest 30-second ad, four neighbors could be seen discussing the disqualification cases against the lawmaker, with one of them, a woman, insisting, “Lola, kandidato pa rin po siya bilang presidente (Grandma, she [Poe] is still a candidate for president).”

Her male neighbor said, “Eh ganyang-ganyan din yung ginawa nila sa tatay niyang si FPJ eh (That’s also what they did to her father FPJ),” as the woman continued: “Pero sa huli, pinayagan ng Korte Suprema na tumakbo (But in the end, he was still allowed to run by the Supreme Court).”

The man then says: “Parang pelikula lang yan ni FPJ, nagpapabugbog sa simula (It’s just like an FPJ movie where he allows himself to be mauled at first)!”

“It’s unfortunate that she [Poe] is second guessing the Supreme Court. She’s too presumptuous. The cases are sub judice and TROs were issued just to avert the cases from becoming moot and academic,” Luna told reporters, adding that the ad appears to be trying to influence the high court.

“Although we do not believe that the justices can be easily swayed by this ad, [but] the mere act to try to influence the court itself is contemptuous and is a violation of the sanctity of the judicial process,” he added.

Agreeing with Tatad, Atty. Estrella Elamparo, one of the petitioners in the Comelec disqualification case against Poe, said the commercial “is obviously meant to condition the public’s mind that Poe will emerge victorious in her disqualification case, despite the fact that the high tribunal has yet set to deliberate, much less decide, on the matter.”

“Personally, I am aghast. This ad disrespects the SC because it is a blatant attempt to influence the outcome of the case and pre-empt its judgment, apart from the idea that it insults the voting public’s mind,” Elamparo said.

Elamparo said the ad continues to be shown despite the fact that the Court, during the preliminary conference last week, told all parties to the case to refrain from making public comments aimed at influencing the court.

“Poe is putting her lawyers in a bad light. Her legal counsels already agreed to abide by the SC’s directive. Poe must also do the same. She must, out of delicadeza, have the sense of leadership to tell her campaign team to stop airing the ads out. I find this very disrespectful to the SC,” Elamparo said.

Poe’s cases involve questions on both her citizenship and residency.

The high court is set to hold an oral argument on Poe’s cases on Tuesday.