THE Commission on Elections has granted Senator Grace Poe’s request to extend the deadline for the submission of her counter-affidavit to her electoral disqualification case after her DNA did not match those from her relatives.
“It didn’t match those from whom we took samples,” Poe said in a radio interview.
“Nevertheless, I have not lost faith because our case does not rest on DNA alone.”
Poe insisted she had legal grounds to claim she is a natural-born Filipino as required by the Constitution because she was a foundling before she was adopted by actors Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces.
“I am a Filipino. I was born in our country, grew up in our country, studied here in the Philippines,” Poe said.
“I have no doubt in my mind and in my heart that I am a Filipino.”
Poe had asked the Comelec to extend the period required of her to submit her counter-affidavit by one month, but the commission gave her only 13 more days.
George Garcia, her lawyer, admitted they would not be able to complete the counter-affidavit in 10 days, but he said they will attend the Nov. 13 hearing at the Comelec.
Garcia was present during the preliminary investigation at the Comelec law department where Rizalito David, the person who filed the disqualification case against her, and his lawyer Manuelito Lina had also been present.
David claims that Poe should be ejected from the Senate because she is not a Filipino citizen.
David and Lina had opposed the 30-day extension and instead insisted on only 10 days.
On Monday, Poe asked the Comelec if she could be given one more month to file her counter- affidavit to David’s allegations against her.
Poe, citing “heavy pressure of other equally urgent professional work,” said she could not submit her counter-affidavit on the Nov. 3 deadline and asked the Comelec if she could file the documents on Dec. 3. Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and Macon Ramos-Araneta