Sotto, Villar seek delay in ruling of Poe’s DQ case

MANILA, Philippines – Senators Vicente Sotto III and Cynthia Villar favor deferring the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s decision on the disqualification case filed by Rizalito David against presidential aspirant Sen. Grace Poe.

Sotto does not see any problem if the SET decision is delayed by one or two weeks at most to enable the members to review all the arguments presented.

The decision is supposed to be handed down on Nov. 17.

Since it is budget season, senators are also busy looking into the details of the budget in addition to other bills now pending before the various committees, Sotto said.

“It should be reset because it’s not ready,” he said in Filipino.

“Besides Sen. (Loren) Legarda is very busy and she’s the chairman of finance. It’s unfair if we’re not complete and we vote or make a decision.

“It calls for a postponement. One or two weeks maximum. Nothing would be lost if we decide in one or two weeks after... maybe first week of December, no problem.”

Villar said she is amenable to the recommendation to reset the date for handing down the SET decision. She has yet to receive the legal briefer on the case from the SET secretariat, she added.

Villar wants to review all evidence and affidavits to be able to reach a correct decision. The DNA testing on Poe’s relatives would not be a big consideration, she added.

She needs to look into the arguments on the case, Villar said.?Villar and Sotto comprise the SET, along with Sens. Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Nancy Binay and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV.

SET is chaired by Justice Antonio Carpio, with Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro and Arturo Brion as members.

Enrile mum on Poe

Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile does not want to comment on the urban legend that Sen. Grace Poe is a daughter of President Ferdinand Marcos with retired actress Rosemarie Sonora, sister of Poe’s adoptive mother, movie star Susan Roces.

“I am not that close to know what are the personal matters of the former president,” Marcos’ long-time defense minister said.

“I was never a member of his household. I am a member of his official family, his Cabinet, but I think we leave personal things to him.”

Enrile was asked about the issue after actress Sheryl Cruz decried anew reports that Marcos and Poe have been calling each other “sister” and “brother” at the Senate when rumors that they are half-siblings continue to circulate.

The 91-year-old Enrile said he did not hear about the rumors.

“I am now deaf,” he joked.

Enrile said he maintained a certain distance from Marcos, especially concerning his private affairs.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he was ready to consent to DNA tests if that would help Poe, when she announced last week that the results of the DNA tests on two people did not match hers.

Poe immediately rejected the offer of Marcos, saying their genes won’t match.

Poe has tried looking for her biological parents after a number of disqualification cases were filed against her on grounds that she is a foundling, therefore not a natural-born Filipino.

Qualities of a leader

Poe has listed the three most important qualities of a leader as intelligence, energy and integrity.

The most important of these is integrity, she told officers of the Alyansa at Laban ng mga Lahi Para sa Ganap  na Pagbabago (ALL4GP) Movement Northern Luzon during their oath-taking yesterday at the Regency Hotel in Dagupan City.

However, there must be a balance of the three, she added.

With the many problems of the country, focus is diverted to her citizenship and residency, Poe said.