Susan: Grace is not my niece

MANILA, Philippines - Veteran actress Susan Roces yesterday denied rumors that her sister Rosemarie Sonora and the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. were the biological parents of her adopted daughter Grace Poe.

Roces brushed aside the rumors while campaigning for the presidential bid of Poe at La Paz Public Market in La Paz, Iloilo.

 “What they are saying about Grace being the daughter of my sister, if it were true, why would I hide this?” Roces said. 

“I was with my sister every day in those days and I never saw her pregnant. That was 1968, the year I got married. Later, she also got married. During that time Rosemarie was very busy doing television shows and was very visible. She was never pregnant,” Roces added.

 It was in Iloilo that Poe was  reportedly left as an infant at the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral in 1968. Poe was eventually adopted by actor Fernando Poe Jr. and Roces. The identities of her biological parents remain unknown.

 The visit of Roces to the La Paz Public Market and Central Market was the first leg of the campaign sortie of Poe and her running mate Sen. Francis Escudero in Iloilo.

Roces arrived early morning in Iloilo. When she reached the La Paz Public Market, she greeted the stall owners and had breakfast at a popular café inside the building.

 Over a bowl of local delicacy batchoy, mangoes and suman, Roces told reporters about how she wanted to give as much of her time to campaign for her daughter.

 “As much as I can, I want to participate because as a senior citizen, we have our own advocacies – never give up, keep on going,” she said.  

Roces also said that she is leaving it up to God to decide what would happen with her daughter, who is appealing to the SC her disqualification as presidential candidate.

 Poe was disqualified by the Comelec on grounds that she did not meet citizenship and residency requirements.

Under the Constitution, a presidential candidate must be a natural-born Filipino and must have a 10-year residency in the country immediately preceding the election to be qualified.

Since Poe is a foundling and lived in the United States for several years, her citizenship and residency are being questioned.

Meanwhile, Sen. Vicente Sotto III expressed confidence that the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) would eventually endorse the tandem of Poe and Escudero.

 At a press conference in Iloilo, Sotto said there is basis for his optimism as the NPC decided to hold the blessing of its regional headquarters in Aklan today when Poe and Escudero are campaigning in the province.

The NPC is considered the second biggest political party in the country after the Liberal Party. But the NPC has not yet decided who to support for the presidential elections.

 Sotto, a member of the NPC, said that the party is having a difficult time deciding because many of its members are supporting different candidates.

 “We are very careful here because the last thing we want is for the leadership to come out with a decision and not all of the members are consulted then we would explode,” he explained. “From 1992 up to the present the NPC has been solid no matter who the president is. It is very difficult to come up with a decision at this time especially with the race being very close.”

Last Monday, Senate President Franklin Drilon said that he believes the NPC would end up adopting a free zone policy when it comes to the matter of who to support for president and vice president in the forthcoming elections.