“A victory for foundlings, global Pinoys and democracy.”
This was the collective sentiments of a broad coalition of Filipino leaders in various countries and provinces following the Supreme Court decision declaring Senator Grace Poe as eligible to run for president. In the process, the SC ruling dismissed the two disqualification cases imposed by the Commission on Elections en banc last December on the former’s status as a natural born Filipino and in compliance with the 10-year residency requirement.
In a statement, The Global Pinoys for Grace and Chiz Movement hailed the Supreme Court justices for their landmark ruling affirming their role as knights of justice and not as foremost legalists being the last bastion for democracy.
“The Supreme Court has affirmed the inherent rights of foundlings as natural born citizens and the basic rights of overseas Filipinos as represented by Senator Grace Poe since in a democracy, the strict rule is to ‘include’ everyone particularly in the basic constitutional right to suffrage,” said Fil-Am lawyer Noriel L. Flores, one of the key leaders of TGPGCM based in Los Angeles.
According to lawyer Roberto Rafael V. Lucila, it’s not only Senator Grace Poe who won big but the bigger winners are the Filipino people themselves whose full excercise of their defining right to choose their servant leaders has been upheld.
“The Supreme Court has proven to be the dependable guardian, protector of the rights of the oppressed, innocent and unempowered by upholding the rights of foundlings, women, mothers, children, the innocent and the helpless. The SC decision affirmed our faith in democracy wherein society is founded on our capacity to take the extra step to help those in need, which is the hallmark of any civilized society,” added Lucila.
For his part, resigned Pagcor President Jorge V. Sarmiento, who is now actively campaigning for Team Grace and Chiz, welcomed the SC decision as a fresh start going into the last 60 days of the presidential campaign.
He described the SC decision as a great gift to all empowered Filipino women on the celebration of International Women’s Day yesterday as he noted that the Supreme Court is led by Chief Justice Sereno and with Grace Poe looming to be the next third empowered Filipina to become Philippine president come May 2016 after Corazon C. Aquino and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
“With the Supreme Court ruling declaring Senator Grace Poe as eligible to run for President, it is my hope that opposing camps must now stop with their politics of exclusion and demolition. The future of our country could only be secured if and when the political contest is raised to a level where platforms of government by any team of candidates, not below-the-belt punches, will determine who will be our next president and vice president,” said Sarmiento.