Poe accuser mulls joining presidential race

MANILA, Philippines - Losing senatorial candidate Lito David of the Koalisyong Katoliko Kristiyano (KKK) is considering running against Sen. Grace Poe in the 2016 presidential elections.

David yesterday said he sees no reason not to run for president next year, and compete against Poe.

“I feel that if she who is disqualified to run will file her certificate of candidacy (COC), why can’t I when I’m a natural-born Filipino?” David told The STAR.

However, David said he is still on a  “discernment process” since running for president is something that needs not only self-determination, but also a signal from above.

David earlier told The STAR that he will file his COC before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should Poe file her intention to run for president next week.

“If she files her COC for president, I will file my own so I can run against an incompetent, a corrupt, a human rights violator and an American citizen pretending to be a Filipino. You know who they are,” David said in a text message.

David, who lost in the two previous senatorial elections, filed a quo warranto case before the Senate Electoral Tribunal in August this year, asking the SET to unseat Poe because of her questionable citizenship.

Free to run

Poe’s lawyer George Garcia, meanwhile, respects the intention of David to run for president.

Garcia said that being in a democratic country, David has the right to run.

“We wish him all the luck. This is a free country and everybody deserves a chance to serve the public,” Garcia told The STAR.

Sources said Poe is set to file her COC on Thursday despite the disqualification case. David might file his COC earlier than Poe.

The filing of COCs is from Oct. 12 to 16.

David, 53 and a resident of Makati City, finished Bachelor of Arts major in sociology at the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

He is currently a radio commentator of church-run Radio Veritas.

In a related development, some members of a Catholic charismatic group in the country might storm the Comelec next week to file their COCs.

Sources said that the Catholic charismatic group will field four representatives each from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao who will compose their Senate slate.

“These people are from the business sector and from the charismatic group,” a source said.