Poe DQ case submitted for resolution

The election offense case against Sen. Grace Poe concerning her residency and citizenship was submitted yesterday for resolution.

After yesterday’s preliminary investigation, Manuelito Luna, Rizalito David’s lawyer, told reporters that they expect the Comelec Law Department to issue a resolution in about 15 to 30 days.

“Both counsels jointly manifested the case is now submitted for resolution by the law department. The deadline for the resolution of the case is shorter than usual. So we expect about 30

days, 15 to 30 days there will be a resolution,” he said, citing Rule 34 of the Comelec Rules on Procedures which provides such timeframe.

Yesterday, Poe’s legal counsel George Erwin Garcia submitted her counter-affidavit to David’s petition that she committed an election offense over her “material misrepresentation” on the certificate of candidacy (COC) that she filed when she ran for senator in the 2013 elections.

David alleged that Poe was not qualified to seek the senatorial post because she lacked the requirements on residency and citizenship.

Garcia said in an interview they are confident to win the case, but that the Comelec must suspend the proceedings because David’s case is also being heard at the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).

“How can they say that my client lied when this is still being resolved at SET and at the Comelec,” he said.

“Whether or not she is natural born or naturalized, it has not been resolved so no one lied.”

If the SET rules that Poe is a naturalborn Filipino, the case at the Comelec will “automatically be dismissed,” Garcia said.

Isko wants Erap to back Poe

Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno is trying to convince Mayor Joseph Estrada to endorse the presidential candidacy of Poe.

He would be very happy if Estrada will join them in the campaign, Moreno said at the sidelines of the 32nd annual convention of the Southern Tagalog Association of Water Districts (TAWD).

“Of course, it would be better if President-Mayor Estrada will support Ms. Grace Poe,” he said.

At the moment, Estrada is still weighing his options, Moreno said.

“We are still waiting for his decision. I don’t want to preempt his decision. I don’t want also to influence him in his decision. But if you will ask me, of course, I’m trying to convince him.”

Being one of Poe’s senatorial candidates, he will campaign very hard for her, Moreno said.

“I will also convince you to vote for Senator Poe because every vote counts,” he said.

On the issue of Poe being a foundling, Moreno said he himself is a child out of wedlock.

“Yes, I am an illegitimate child,” he said.

“My father was married when he met my mother. My mother was hoodwinked by my father that he is single. I am revealing this reality because I want it to come from me first.”

The series of disqualification cases filed against Poe is “emotionally challenging” for her, Moreno said.

“But I believe our people are intelligent enough,” he said.

“They know what is happening in our government. The laglag-bala problem in the airport has not been addressed yet. They cannot even identify those behind the syndicates in laglagbala. In politics, planting is also prevalent. They are planting complainants for disqualification which I call tanim-DQ.”

Poe is a victim of “tanim- DQ” (disqualification-Moreno said.

These are nothing but a sinister attempt to derail Poe’s presidential bid, Moreno said.

It is sad that some people want to be in the limelight at the expense of Poe, Moreno said.

“It is saddening that, while we respect their rights, their opinion, their thoughts, there are some people who just want to be in the limelight engaging in

tanim- DQ,” he said. “Why don’t they just allow the will of the people to prevail.”

Moreno has filed his certificate of candidacy for senator and is a part of Poe’s independent senatorial slate. He is on his third and last term as vice mayor of Manila.

Logic dictates that whoever would benefit from Poe’s disqualification would certainly be a suspect, Moreno said, but he could not specifically name any person or group behind the “tanimDQ” against Poe.

Moreno also questioned the timing of the cases since not a single case was filed against Poe when she ran for senator in 2013.