Chiz: Comelec bullying Poe, misleading public

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Thursday decried what he called "bullying" of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc in deciding to disqualify his running mate, Sen. Grace Poe, from the 2016 race.

"Sen. Grace Poe has been nothing but honest, candid, forthright and open with respect to her citizenship nationality and residency to the Filipino people. She has answered every question and candor and honesty both before the Comelec and before the Filipino people," Escudero, who is running for vice president, said in a statement.

"How dare they say that she 'deliberately' attempted to mislead the electorate?" he added.

Escudero said the Comelec misled voters with its repeated decisions to deny Poe's candidacy even as she answered every accusation on her citizenship and residency.

The Comelec refused to consolidate the four cases filed against Poe, despite the senator's pleading, and issued similar decisions as separate decisions, and then as en banc, Escudero noted.

"[The cases] are all the same, except the names of the petitioners, if only to require Sen. Poe to answer or appear in the two divisions of the Comelec and be disqualified, not only once but twice, and a third time by the en banc following what appears to be a well-written script of play," he said.

Escudero also said the poll body pretended to be independent in making the decision when it has acted like Poe's "inquisitor and prosecutor."

He said the commission also worked overtime "to disqualify her a day before Christmas and the holidays, thus giving her very little and difficult time to seek redress in the Supreme Court."

He also thinks the Comelec acted as if it had power to prevent her from running for president. "In fact only the Supreme Court, can either sitting en banc or as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, decide with finality on such issues," Escudero said.

The senator also expressed confidence that Poe will overcome the hurdle and come out a better candidate for president. — Rosette Adel