David insists Poe violating election laws with presidential bid

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Grace Poe will violate election laws and the Constitution should she run for President in the 2016 elections as “she has no nationality,” according to losing senatorial candidate Lito David yesterday.

David, who submitted 270-page evidence before the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET), explained Poe went to the US before 2001, when she renounced her Filipino citizenship and became an American citizen.

Poe, however, came back to the Philippines and renounced her American citizenship in 2010 as she claimed that she was a natural-born Filipino citizen and availed herself of dual citizenship status. 

David said that Poe came back to the Philippines after the US federal government approved her renunciation of American citizenship in 2012.

He said Poe’s application for dual citizenship was not approved as she had renounced her Filipino and American citizenship.

He claimed Poe has also failed to reacquire her Filipino citizenship. 

“When she reacquired her Filipino citizenship it was not valid, since the law states that she should be a natural-born citizen. So she was left stateless,” David said in Filipino.

David offered evidence before the electoral tribunal yesterday, rebutting the documents submitted by the camp of Poe, claiming these were invalid and do not support her claim that she is a natural-born Filipino.

According to David, there were many “false entries” in the documents submitted by Poe’s camp that covered “one lie after another.”

David argued Poe has falsified her live birth and Filipino citizenship documents she allegedly acquired in 2006. He said Poe allegedly falsified her birth certificate, proof of allegiance, renunciation of Filipino citizenship, renunciation of American citizenship and reacquisition of Filipino citizenship in 2006.

He also questioned Poe’s passports, travel documents, travel schedules and some of her travel records from the Philippines.  

David added he has also learned Poe has submitted documents of her children that should not be included among the documents needed to prove her citizenship.

However, David said they could use the documents of Poe’s children against her. He said they have learned that Poe’s children are not dual citizens, but Americans.

David, who lost in the previous elections, filed a petition before the SET to unseat the neophyte senator, saying she was not a Filipino citizen qualified to run for public office.