Senatorial bets stand by Poe

MANILA, Philippines – The decision of the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) Second Division disqualifying Sen. Grace Poe from next year’s presidential race was flawed and designed to demolish her chances of winning, senatorial candidates of her Partido Galing at Puso said.

Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, Edu Manzano, Lorna Kapunan, Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, former Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Samuel Pagdilao, Rep. Roman Romulo, OFW advocate Susan Ople and former Sen. Richard Gordon said they are standing by Poe, confident that she will be allowed to run for president in the 2016 elections.

“This was the result of the ‘tanim-DQ’ (planting DQ) that I was telling everyone days ago,” Moreno said.

“The planting of DQ cases against Senator Grace is a form of wiliness and deceptiveness by her enemies to deprive Filipinos of their right to choose in a clean election a leader who has heart and talent,” Moreno said in Filipino.

“It’s very surprising that they’ve zeroed in on having Poe’s COC (certificate of candidacy) cancelled even if there are several others who have filed the same,” he added.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares said the Comelec decision reflects the social injustice under the current administration.

“Efforts to bar Sen. Poe from running mirror the lack of social justice under the present dispensation. It shows the lack of an even playing field in this country, especially when one is considered a threat to the administration,” Colmenares said.

Gatchalian said the battle is not over yet for Poe as she is determined to pursue all legal remedies to fight for her dream to lead Filipinos in a government that is sensitive and responsive to the needs of the public.

“The Comelec’s decision disregards the long line of precedents from the Supreme Court frowning upon disqualification cases based on sheer technicalities that tend to disregard the right of the sovereign people to their preferred leaders,” Kapunan, who has been a practicing lawyer for 38 years, said.

Romulo, for his part, said he is confident Poe would be allowed to run despite the “politically-driven” efforts to eliminate her from the presidential race.

“It’s very clear in the Constitution, our laws, Supreme Court rulings that I’ve read – Sen. Grace Poe is qualified to run as president,” Romulo said.

“I believe the rule of law will prevail in the next process. In a democratic country like ours, the most important is for the voice of the people to prevail. Sovereignty resides in the people; we must allow them to be heard,” Romulo said.

Ople, for her part, said she is also saddened by the decision of the Comelec’s Second Division, and stressed that Poe should be allowed to seek the presidency and let the Filipino electorate decide.

 “I commend Sen. Grace Poe for her commitment to the legal process and full faith in the integrity of our institutions,” Ople said. “I believe that Senator Poe should be allowed to run for the highest office of the land and be judged by the Filipino electorate on the basis of competence, vision and platform of leadership,” she said.

Pagdilao, a lawyer, noted: “I am confident that Senator Poe’s baptism of fire will soon be over. The Comelec en banc still has to rule on her motion. Her battle is not yet over until the high tribunal says so. She still has legal ammunitions to back her up on this. ”

Zubiri said he believes that Poe is being singled out by the Comelec, noting that she was the first to be disqualified by the poll body while it still has to rule on the candidacy of nuisance bets.

Manzano, who faced a similar disqualification case as candidate for vice mayor of Makati City in 1998, said the cases against Poe are meant to harass her since she has been consistently leading all presidential surveys.

“I’ve been there before. These are just part of the strategy of her foes to eliminate her from the presidential race,” Manzano said.

Gordon revealed in October that members of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) asked him to file a disqualification case against Poe in connection with her citizenship. The former senator, however, turned them down.

 “My concern is not just cheating through the PCOS system about which many people are warning us, but more that they will try to use every trick and every tactic to get candidates disqualified so that they can win,” Gordon said.