Lawyer: Mayor's DQ over US passport not applicable to Poe's case
MANILA, Philippines — The camp of Sen. Grace Poe on Friday said the case of Lanao del Norte Mayor Rommel Arnado of Kauswagan, who was disqualified using his American passport after renunciation of US citizenship, is not applicable to the case of the presidential aspirant.
The Supreme Court earlier affirmed the disqualification of Arnado in the 2013 elections. The high court deemed the use of foreign passport by dual citizens as proof of ineligibility to hold public office.
READ: It’s final: Mayor who used US passport disqualified
"Lest the public be misled, the recent SC decision in Arnado vs Comelec is inapplicable to the case of Sen. Grace Poe. No rhyme nor reason to conclude that they are the same," Poe's lawyer George Garcia said in a statement.
Garcia reiterated that Poe did not use her US passport after renouncing her American citizenship in October 2010.
The lawyer added that Poe last used her American passport in March 2010 several months before the renunciation.
"This was confirmed by the entries on the US passport itself, the BID travel records and was further amplified during the oral argument," Garcia said.
Poe's legal counsel said that the attempt to "muddle the facts and circumvent the truth" only sows confusion among Filipinos.
"Let us all wait for the SC decision. It's forthcoming anyway. Whatever it may be, we should bow to its wisdom," the lawyer said.
The high court has finished holding oral arguments on the disqualification case of the senator. The case is now up for resolution.
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