Poe positive law will favor her, abused Filipinos

Senator Grace Poe during a school visit at Camarines Norte State College in Daet, Camarines Norte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ARNOLD ALMACEN

As the Supreme Court tackles this Tuesday the disqualification cases filed against her, Senator Grace Poe expressed confidence that the law would side with her and all abandoned Filipino children, who she said could be stripped of their right to a nationality if her political opponents had their way.

“Matibay ang pananalig natin na kakatigan tayo ng batas sa ipinaglalaban nating karapatan ng mga inabandonang bata. Hindi ko kasi matanggap ang sinasabi ng ilan na ang isang foundling ay ituturing na stateless o walang nasyonalidad pagkapanganak. Responsibilidad ng batas na proteksyunan ang karapatan ng mga mahina at walang laban,” Poe said in a statement.

(I am confident that the law will side with me and my fight for the right of abandoned children. I don’t believe in the view of some who think that a foundling is a stateless or without nationality when they were born. It is the law’s responsibility to protect the right of the weak and the powerless.)

“Ang isang bagong panganak na sanggol na inabandona at natagpuan sa Pilipinas ay isang natural na Pilipino. Kung may makakapagpatunay na ang batang ito ay may dugong banyaga, nasa kabilang kampo na po ang responsibilidad na patunayan ang bagay na ito. Wala po sa ampon ang ‘burden of proof’ o magbigay pruweba na ang kaniyang mga magulang ay hindi Pilipino,” she said.

(A newborn child who was abandoned and found in the Philippines is a natural-born Filipino. The accuser should be the one to prove that this child has foreign blood. The foundling does not hold the burden of proof that his parents are not Filipino.)

READ: Grace Poe hopeful SC will swiftly uphold her

Poe, who was abandoned and found at a church in Jaro, Iloilo as an infant, maintained that she is qualified to run for president because she is a natural-born Filipino citizen and has lived in the Philippines for more than 10 years.

She reiterated that based on international laws, an abandoned child of unknown parents is a citizen of the country where the child was found, contrary to her opponents’ position that a foundling is stateless.

“Ang laban po na ito ay hindi lamang kay Grace Poe. Ito po ay laban ng mga milyon-milyong Pilipino, ampon man o tunay na anak, kasama na rin po ang ating mga kababayan na napilitang mangibang-bansa upang itaguyod ng maayos ang kanilang pamumuhay sapagkat hindi sila kampante na maiaangat ang buhay ng pamilya sa sariling bansa. Nararapat po bang tanggalan ng karapatang pantao ang nakararami dahil sa pang-sariling ambisyon ng iilan?” Poe said.

(This fight is not only Grace Poe’s. This is the battle of millions of Filipinos, whether they are adopted or legitimated children, and the Filipinos who are compelled to work abroad because they are not sure if they will be able to improve their lives in their own homeland. Is it okay to strip people of their rights just to accommodate the selfish interests of the few?)

READ: Grace Poe: Every foundling has right to dream

The senator then appealed to Filipino voters not to let anyone, particularly those running for elective posts, treat them like rags that will be set aside after the elections.

“Gusto ko pong umapila sa aking kapwa Pilipino. Sa tuwing may halalan, may makinarya ang ilang pulitiko na gumawa ng paraan para nakawin sa inyo ang karapatan na pumili ng tamang pinuno. Dinaraan ang laban sa paninira, sa pagbali ng interpretasyon sa batas, sa korupsyon at pandaraya. ‘Di nasusunod ang tunay na napupusuan ng mamamayan,” she said.

(I appeal to my fellow Filipinos. Every election, some politicians employ a strategy to steal from you your right to pick the right leader. They employ mudslinging, twisting the law, corrupting others and cheating. They do not care about the choice of the majority.)

“Walang kasing-sakit na kapag ang mga tulad ng mga taong ito ang nahalal sa maling paraan; ang turing nila sa kapwa ay parang basahan na isasantabi na lang. Walang katapusang pang-aabuso sa karapatang pantao.”

(Nothing will be more painful if these people get elected; they treat other people like rags which they can dispose of. They are guilty of perpetually violating the rights of others.)

Poe also called on Filipinos to defend their hard-won democratic rights.

“Panahon na upang magising po tayong lahat sa katotohanan: tanging mamamayang Pilipino lamang ang may karapatan na iligtas ang kanilang bayan. At para sa ating mga kabataan, isipin ang magandang kinabukasan,” she said.

(It’s the time that we face the truth: only the Filipinos can save their own nation. And to the youth, think about a bright future.)

She also reiterated her call for her political opponents, who she believes are behind the attempts to disqualify her from the presidential race, to present their platforms and rise above the mudslinging that has perennially characterized Philippine elections.

“Hindi po ba na ang dapat talakayin ay ang plano ng bawat kandidato sa pagkapangulo? Marahil ay wala po silang tunay na plano at nanghihiram lang ng kinang para abusuhin ang simpatya ng kapwa Pilipino. Huwag na po nating hintayin ang presidential debates. Ilatag na po natin ngayon at hayaang magdesisyon ang taumbayan,” said the senator.

(Shouldn’t we be discussing about the candidates’ plans if they become president. Maybe because they really don’t have a plan, and are just out there to abuse the Filipinos’ sympathy. Let’s not wait for presidential debates. Let us go through it now and let the people decide.)

Win or lose, Poe promised that she would continue to help improve the country. IDL