Poe grateful for public’s continued trust

MANILA, Philippines - Presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe yesterday expressed elation over the public’s continued trust in her, which was reflected in her strong showing in the latest Pulse Asia survey.

Poe again led the 2016 presidential hopefuls with 39 percent, up by 13 points from 26 percent in September.

“I am grateful for their continued trust amid all the black propaganda and criticisms hurled against me,” Poe said.

Results of the survey were released on the same day that the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) junked the disqualification case against her.

“Even with all the disqualification petitions, they still believe in my intentions and in my honesty,” Poe said.

Poe’s running mate, Sen. Francis Escudero, said the Pulse Asia survey results will inspire their team to work even harder in the coming months.

Escudero retained the number one spot for the preferred bet for vice president with 43 percent, up by 20 points from 23 percent in September. Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. came in second with 21 percent, followed by Sen. Alan Cayetano with 11 percent.

Apolitical decision

Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo is not bothered by the fact that her campaign manager for the vice presidential race – Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV – voted to dismiss the disqualification case against Poe.

Aquino, along with Sens. Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Vicente Sotto III and Cynthia Villar, voted to dismiss the disqualification case against Poe based on the petition filed by Rizalito David before the nine-member SET.

Supreme Court Associate Justices Antonio Carpio, Teresita Leonardo-de Castro and Arturo Brion and Sen. Nancy Binay voted in favor of the petition that alleged that Poe is not a natural-born Filipino and thus cannot be a senator.

Binay is a daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay, one of Poe’s rivals in the 2016 presidential elections.

Robredo said she respects the decision of the SET that Poe is qualified to be a senator.

“Sen. Bam Aquino’s vote not to disqualify Sen. Grace Poe showed that his decision was not political,” Robredo said.

“He decided as a member of the tribunal based on the facts and merits of the case presented to them, particularly for the benefit of Filipinos abandoned in our country,” she said.

She said Aquino’s vote also showed that the Liberal Party was not behind the string of disqualification cases filed against Poe before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The Comelec has yet to rule on four disqualification cases filed against Poe.

Infra projects to continue

Meanwhile, Poe and Escudero vowed to continue the infrastructure projects of the Aquino administration if they will be elected in 2016.

In a guesting over Radyo Bulacan, Poe said good projects must not be derailed because of politics.

Escudero, for his part, said there is no need to scrap projects that are not tainted with anomalies. – With Paolo Romero, Ramon Efren Lazaro