Grace thanks Bongbong, but says DNA won’t match

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines – Presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe yesterday thanked Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for his willingness to undergo a DNA test to help her find her biological relatives, but expressed belief their DNAs would not match.

“I am thanking Sen. Bongbong, but I think he just wants to help me,” Poe told reporters in a visit here as part of her nationwide tour.

“I’m sure he knows if it happens, it will not match,” she added.

Poe, a foundling adopted by actor Fernando Poe Jr. and actress Susan Roces, is facing disqualification cases over questions on her nationality. Under the Omnibus Election Code, only natural-born Filipinos may run for public office.

There is a rumor that Poe could be a daughter of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. with actress Rosemarie Sonora, the sister of Roces.

Poe underwent a DNA test to prove that she is a natural-born Filipino, following the disqualification case filed against her before the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET). But she has admitted the results of the DNA tests conducted on two of her supposed relatives were negative.

In a forum at the Bataan Peninsula State University, Poe said she is not giving up the fight against detractors who want her to be disqualified from the presidential race.

She said she has to remain strong not just for foundlings like her, but also for the 20 million people who voted for her in 2013. She lamented that other foundlings would become second class citizens in case she gets an unfavorable ruling from the SET.

She reiterated that her defense does not rely on the DNA tests alone but on international treaties stating that foundlings retain the citizenship of the country where they were found.

But Poe also said she is ready to return to private life if the SET rules against her.  

“My prayer is for the magistrates to be fair,” she added.

In a press conference yesterday in Subic Bay Freeport, Poe was also asked to comment on criticism that she is still raw for the presidency.

“Being new is not a weakness,” Poe said, adding that voters just got used to electing people with old ideas.

She also compared her presidential bid to new and old cars.

“What would you rather drive, the old ones that still run but you are not sure if it will give you problems, or the new one that you are certain will give you a smooth ride?”

Her running mate, vice presidential aspirant Sen. Francis Escudero, said that President Aquino was also a newbie in the 2010 presidential race but this was never an issue.

“Aquino only served as a senator for three years and nobody raised a question. Why should this be an issue now?” he said.

Poe was also asked what she intends to do with the country’s Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States if she is elected president.

She said “we need cooperation for defense, but we also need to provide safeguards for abuses and criminal offenses.”

She added that the issue is now with the Supreme Court and it is the tribunal that will decide on the fate of EDCA.

Poe also said among her priorities are protection of children’s rights and welfare, poverty reduction and improvement of infrastructure.

Her administration will also prioritize education and will implement a training-and-job-matching program, so graduates will find jobs suited to their education. – With Christina Mendez