Poe wants 3 justices to inhibit from DQ case before SC

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Grace Poe on Monday admitted that she is hoping that the three Supreme Court (SC) justices, who are members of the Senate Electoral Tribunal, would inhibit from the disqualification case filed against her.

SC Associate Justices Antonio Carpio, Teresita Leonardo-De Castro and Arturo Brion voted to disqualify the senator. However, majority of the SET members voted to deny the disqualification bid against Poe.

"Para sa akin, sa tingin ko kusa, sa kusang-loob nila ako aasa na sana ay ganoon," Poe said in an ambush interview asking her if she would ask the judges to inhibit from her case.

The two divisions of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) have decided to disqualify Poe from the 2016 presidential race, citing material misrepresentation in her 2013 certificate of candidacy for senator.

READ: Comelec 1st division disqualifies Poe from presidential race | Comelec disqualifies Poe from presidential race

Poe's camp have asked the Comelec en banc to reverse the disqualification but the senator admitted that she is not confident that the commission will side with her.

"Kaya para sa akin, nilalagay ko sa isip ko na kung ano man ang kahihinatnan nito, ang puno’t dulo pa rin ay ang Korte Suprema. Kaya doon nalang namin tinutuon ang aming paghahanda, pagdadasal na sana’y magkaroon ng katarungan — sa Korte Suprema," Poe said.

The senator is hopeful that the high court will base its decision on the documents that she submitted to prove that she is qualified to run for president.

"So sana ang maging basehan talaga nila muli ay ang mga ebisensyang naisumite namin at sana ay iinterpreta nila ang batas base sa hustisya at kung ano talaga ang makatarungan," the senator said.

Meanwhile, Poe's running mate, Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero, urged the Comelec to keep her name on the ballot for the upcoming elections despite being disqualified.

Escudero argued that Poe remains a presidential candidate until the high court rules with finality on her disqualification.

On the other hand, SC Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno vowed to rule on election-related cases based on "utmost wisdom" and not on politics.