Leave FPJ citizenship issue to SC – Joker

Sen. Joker Arroyo urged his Senate colleagues yesterday to leave to the Supreme Court the question on the citizenship of movie actor Fernando Poe Jr.

He said even the matter of whether archivist Ricardo Manapat "forged" documents relating to Poe’s citizenship should be left to the high tribunal, which has taken cognizance of the case.

The maverick senator said the nation cannot have the spectacle of the Supreme Court saying one thing on the issue and the Senate making a contrary pronouncement.

"When the judiciary steps in, the legislature should step out on matters essentially judicial and not legislative in nature. FPJ’s citizenship and qualifications are clearly judicial in character. The courts are better fit to judge that, not Congress which by its very character is partisan," he stressed.

Arroyo pointed out that following Congress’ enactment of the Dual Citizenship Law, he personally feels that the state policy on Filipino citizenship should be liberalized and "all intendments should favor FPJ’s qualifications to the presidency."

"But after the issue has been raised before the Supreme Court, then let us leave it that way — for the court to decide," he said.

Arroyo also disputed the claim of opposition senators that the Senate adopted the report recommending criminal charges against Manapat on the last session day of Congress last Friday.

He said the opposition needed 50 percent plus one or 10 of the 18 senators present in Friday’s session to adopt the report.

Nine members of the minority voted to approve the Manapat report of the committee on constitutional amendments, revision of laws and codes, while an equal number from the majority abstained.

With nine votes against the nine abstentions, Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan declared that the "motion (to adopt the report) was not carried."

Sen. Edgardo Angara, chairman of the committee that endorsed the charges against Manapat, holds a different view on the status of his panel’s recommendations.

He said the Senate approved them since he and eight other minority members voted to adopt the report and none voted against.

Based on cases that the Supreme Court has decided, he said abstentions are not negatives votes.

As for Arroyo’s assertion that the minority needed at least 10 votes, Angara said they needed only 50 percent plus 1 or seven of 12 senators comprising a quorum.

"Sumobra pa kami ng dalawa," he added.