Poe denies Duterte’s claims she asked him to be her VP

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Grace Poe on Monday denied that she asked Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte to take her as his vice president and later on to be her vice president.

Poe made the clarification following Duterte’s claims on Sunday that she requested him to be his running mate for the 2016 polls. Former Sen. Alberto Romulo, said to be Poe’s neighbor in Corinthian Gardens, Quezon City, was allegedly the mediator.

Duterte said he turned down Poe’s request as he is not interested in the presidency but he said Poe asked him the second time around to be her vice president.

Duterte did not disclose where the meeting took place but the mayor said Poe suddenly decided to run as president after her numbers at the election preference surveys surged.

The senator denied these claims and admitted that she and Duterte did meet early this year during the first quarter of the year in her home but clarified that no election-related matter was discussed.

Poe added that she was shocked of Duterte’s claims. She said the mayor whom she knew since 2013, and has helped her before, was invited to her house as he is one of the friends of her friend who happens to be Romulo’s son.

“Hindi po totoo iyon. Hindi nangyari iyon. Noong una, hindi po nakatira sa aming lugar si Sen. Romulo. Bert Romulo. Ang kanyang anak ang nandoon, dinala ko si Mayor Duterte sa aming bahay, dahil magkapitbahay lang kami nung isang kaibigan ko. Ang pinag-usapan namin ay puro mga kampanya noong mga nakalipas at mga personal na bagay,” Poe said.

“Kung ako naman ang nangangailangan, bakit ko naman siya papupuntahin sa bahay ko? Hindi pa nga ako nagpupunta ng Davao magmula noong mga panahon na nagdedesisyon siya bilang paggalang rin sa kanya. Sapagkat, ayokong sabihing mag-presidente ka o mag-vice president ka. Sariling prerogatiba iyan. Hindi po nangyari iyon, hindi namin pinag-usapan. At ako po ay nagulat sa kanyang mga nasabi. Siguro, baka, na-misinterpret ng iba,” she added.

Poe also denied that she sent someone to talk to Duterte about her presidency. She said she does not compel anyone to decide on entering any election race.

“Wala po akong sinasabihan maski na sino at ako, tatayuan ko po iyan sapagkat unang-una nga wala sa akin ang determinasyon kung ano ang magiging desisyon ng isang tao. Ginagalang ko siya (Duterte) bilang isang nakakatanda at mas matagal na sa gobyerno,” Poe said.

“Wala akong alam na kinausap siya, at wala akong sinasabihan na kausapin siya. Hindi ko alam kung siya, kung galing mismo sa kanya ang pag-sabi na ako'y kumausap sa kanya ukol doon,” she added.

Asked if Duterte’s claims that she has presidential ambitions even before, Poe said they were not true.

“Hindi po totoo iyan. Noong nag-usap kami pati siya tinatanong ko. Pareho kaming hindi pa nakakapagdesisyon noong panahon na iyon,” Poe said.

On Saturday night, Duterte said that his presidency is now on the table, citing his disappointment on the Senate Tribunal ruling on Poe's case as his reason for changing his mind and becoming open to entering the presidential race.