MANILA, Philippines - The lawyer of presidential aspirant Sen. Grace Poe on Tuesday claimed that there is no evidence that she is a foreigner.
On the second round of the oral arguments on the disqualification cases against Poe before the Supreme Court, her legal counsel Alex Poblador said that there is no evidence that the senator or her parents are foreigners.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) earlier canceled Poe's certificate of candidacy for president due to residency and citizenship issues.
Poe was found as a baby at the Jaro Cathedral in Iloilo and was later adopted by actor Fernando Poe Jr. and his wife Susan Roces.
Poblador stressed that Poe was presumed a natural-born Filipino at birth based on international law.
The lawyer also argued that the place where Poe was found constitutes evidence that she is born of Filipino parents.
Poblador told Associate Justice Marvic Leonen during his interpellation that circumstantial evidence can prove Poe's citizenship. He also pointed out that Poe was born in Iloilo.
The 1987 Constitution states that a candidate for president must be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines.