Give SC space on Poe DQ cases – Lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines - Leaders of Congress were urged yesterday to give the Supreme Court (SC) enough time to resolve the disqualification case against presidential aspirant Sen. Grace Poe.

Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, a senatorial candidate in Poe’s ticket, made the appeal in response to the calls of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Senate President Franklin Drilon for the high court to treat the cases with some sense of urgency.

“The justices do not live in ivory towers. They have their feet on the ground. They keep themselves abreast with the times and will rule on the issue at a time of their choosing,” Romulo said.

“Let us give them the democratic space befitting a separate and independent branch of government. Let us trust them to make the right and best decision for our country and people,” he added.

The justices, according to him, “will have to weigh the consequences of denying the electorate the right to vote into office the leading candidate in the presidential race.”

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) disqualified Poe on the ground that she is not a natural-born Filipino and lacks the required 10-year residency prior to the May 9 elections, a position that the lady senator is contesting, claiming she has complied with both.

Poe was previously an American citizen.

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno issued two temporary restraining orders last Dec. 28 stopping the Comelec from enforcing its decisions against Poe. At least five oral arguments have been set, including one on Feb. 16.

Last Wednesday, Belmonte and Drilon expressed disappointment over the way the SC is treating the issue of Poe’s disqualification.

Belmonte, noting the possible chaos that a delayed decision may create, urged the SC to resolve the issue soon.

Drilon took a similar stand, saying the decision may impact on the integrity and credibility of the May 2016 polls.

“The issue cannot be left hanging. The case is posing serious threats to fair and credible elections in May and only the Supreme Court’s prompt action can eliminate that threat by resolving the case at the soonest,” Drilon stressed.

Negative DNA

Meanwhile, Poe told reporters during a trip to Dagupan City, Pangasinan that the continuing search for her biological parents has once again hit a dead end.

She revealed that the latest DNA tests conducted on several possible relatives in Guimaras, including Lorena Rodriguez-De Chavez who claimed that she was the sister of Poe, turned out to be negative.

The DNA tests on the remains of three individuals exhumed in Guimaras also provided no results because the specimens could no longer be of use, she added.

“The succeeding ones from the family of Lorena also did not match,” Poe told reporters here.

A foundling left on the steps of a church in Jaro, Iloilo, Poe has no information about the identities of her biological parents. She has been trying to locate possible relatives to put an end to the legal questions regarding her citizenship.

As the law requires only natural-born Filipinos can run for president or the Senate, several disqualification cases have been filed against Poe because of her status as a foundling.

If she loses, Poe could end up losing her seat in the Senate as well. She remains optimistic of a favorable decision though.  – With Marvin Sy