PANGASINAN -- Independent
vice-presidential candidate Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero is looking forward to
a favorable Supreme Court ruling for his presidential running mate Sen. Grace
Poe as they expect the high court to hand down its decision next month.
During the campaign sortie of the
Partido Galing at Puso in vote-rich Pangasinan province, Escudero said the SC
was expected to conclude within the month hearing the oral arguments on Poe’s
consolidated petition against two Commission on Elections (Comelec) decisions
canceling her certificate of candidacy (COC) for president.
“Inaasahan namin na matatapos sa buwan ng Pebrero ang oral
arguments sa kaso ni Sen. Grace. Inaasahan namin na lalabas sa buwan ng Marso
ang kanilang (SC) pasya at
desisyon, at buo ang pag-asa namin na ito’y papabor kay Sen. Grace,”
Escudero told a press conference.
In canceling Poe’s COC, the Comelec claimed that she
made “material misrepresentations” regarding her citizenship and residency.
Poe, the
frontrunner in recent presidential voter preference surveys, had petitioned the
SC to reverse the Comelec rulings on ground that the poll body committed grave
abuse of discretion amounting to lack of jurisdiction.
She also insisted that just like
all other foundlings found in the Philippines, she is a natural-born Filipino
citizen, and that she complied with the 10-year residency requirement for
presidential candidates having been a resident of the country since May 24,
2005.
Escudero believes the 15-member
tribunal will not go beyond its 2004 decision that declared Poe’s father, the
late actor Fernando Poe Jr., whose citizenship was also questioned when he ran
for president at the time, a natural-born Filipino.
“Sa kaso tungkol sa kababayan
nyong si FPJ, sinabi ng Korte Suprema sa pamamagitan ni Chief
Justice (Reynato) Puno, sa wikang Ingles: ‘We cannot leave to the unelected
members of this court the power and right to decide who the next president will
be. That decision is best left to the sovereign Filipino people,’” Escudero
said referring to the late actor, who is a native of San Carlos City in
Pangasinan.
“Kung susundin nila (SC justices) ‘yun, walang rason para hindi sila pumabor
kay Sen. Grace,” he added.
