THE dean of The University of the East’s College of Law on Monday filed a disqualification case against presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe, the fourth so far since she filed her candidacy for President.
Amado Valdez questioned Poe’s status as a natural-born Filipino and urged the Commission on Elections to disqualify her.
“The fact that respondent has to perform an overt act to re-acquire her citizenship by filing a petition… does not qualify her as a natural-born citizen…,” Valdez said.
“Natural-born citizens are those who are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippine citizenship…”
Another lawyer, and this one from the University of the Philippines’ College of Law, said Poe could not be considered a natural-born Filipino citizen under the 1935 and 1987 Constitutions.
Francis Cantre said Poe could not claim being a natural-born Filipino unless she could prove that her parents, particularly her father, were Filipino citizens.
“As a foundling born in the Philippines of unknown biological parents, Senator Poe’s citizenship status is not easy to determine,” Cantre said.
Poe said she would face all her accusers in reply to Valdez’s comments.
She said Valdez was entitled to his opinions, but she hoped he would also focus on the issues confronting society.
Valdez said that, in the language of Republic Act 9225, Poe was deemed as having “re-acquired Philippine citizenship” but “not natural-born citizenship.”
“Then, there is the other indispensable constitutional requirement that no person may be elected President unless he or she is a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years immediately preceding the election,” Valdez said.
He said Poe had indicated in her Certificate of Candidacy for Senator that her period of residency was only six years and six months to the May 2013 senatorial elections.
“By her own admission, she will have resided in the Philippines for only nine years and nine months prior to the May 2016 presidential elections,” Valdez said.
He also cited three dates to start the count in Poe’s residency based on official records and as she had admitted.
One was July 7, 2006, when she took her oath as a Filipino citizen; November 2006 as gleaned in her CoC for senator in the May 2013 elections; and Oct. 20, 2010 when she renounced her American citizenship.
Valdez said the 10-year period of residency must be counted from Oct. 20, 2010, when Poe renounced her American citizenship.
“Between July 7, 2006, and October 20, 2010, she owed dual allegiance to the Philippines and the United States of America, thus she is still ineligible to hold public office.”