The Second Division of Commission on Elections (Comelec) disqualified survey’s leading Presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday December 1, 2015.
In the petition filed to cancel Grace Poe’s candidacy, it says that the Presidential candidate is not a natural born Filipino as the identity of her biological parents is still unknown after she is adopted by Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces.
It also says that she did not meet the constitutional requirement for Presidential candidates to have atleast 10 years of Philippine residency prior to election day.
The Second Division of Comelec voted 3-0 in favor of Attorney Estrella Elamparo who filed the petition to cancel Grace Poe’s certificate of candidacy for president. They released a 34 page resolution cancelling Grace Poe’s Certificate of Candidacy for President.
“We would have wanted to declare the respondent eligible to seek the highest position in the land within the gift of our people. After all, she is not only popular; she is, potentially, a good leader.
However, it is our bounden duty to resolve this case by applying the Constitution, law, jurisprudence and none other”. Says in the last page of the resolution
On the other side, Senator Grace Poe is disappointed in Comelec Second Division’s decision but she assured her followers that this is not the end of the fight.
“I am disappointed in the decision, but this is not the end of the process. We will continue to fight for the rights of foundlings and the fundamental right of the people to choose their leaders.
“I maintain that I am a natural born Filipino, and have complied with the 10-year residency requirement based on settled applicable jurisprudence,” says Grace Poe
Grace Poe’s spokesperson Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian said that they will appeal the disqualification to Comelec en banc and they are confident to have them on their side.
“This is just a decision of the Second Division. She is still a candidate for President and her name will remain on the ballot. We will exhaust all legal remedies, including appeal to the Comelec en banc. We believe that collectively they (Comelec) will see the merits of our case,” says Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian.
Now that Grace Poe is out of Presidential race and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s Presidential candicacy is not yet accepted by Comelec.
If these two leading Presidential candidates will be out of the race, Who will you choose between Jejomar Binay, Mar Roxas and Mirriam Defensor-Santiago?
