LP links ex-lawmaker to Poe citizenship case

MANILA, Philippines - A lawmaker from the Liberal Party (LP) yesterday linked a former colleague in the House of Representatives to the case filed with the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) questioning the citizenship of Sen. Grace Poe.

Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice told reporters that a day after losing senatorial candidate Rizalito David failed to file his complaint with the SET for lack of the required P50,000 filing fee, former Negros Oriental congressman Jacinto Paras phoned him to ask if he could contribute P25,000 to the complainant.

Paras, who supported Poe’s father the late Fernando Poe Jr. when he ran for president in 2004, yesterday denied giving the money, but reiterated he would question the senator’s citizenship and residency requirement if ever she sought the presidency in 2016.

“Jing Paras called me and told me that he is contributing P25,000 and requested me to come up with the other half,” Erice said. “I told him we in the Liberal Party will not do that to Senator Grace because we are courting her to be the vice presidential running mate of (Interior) Secretary Mar Roxas.”

“I have been saying that Senator Poe still lacks the necessary experience to lead the country as president and that Secretary Mar is better prepared, but I or the LP will not finance a case against her,” he added.

Two days after the SET refused to accept David’s complaint for lack of the necessary filing fee, he came up with P50,000 and the SET received the case.

Reached for comment, Paras denied he contributed to David’s filing fee and that he asked Erice to chip in.

“This talk about me contributing to Mr. David’s SET filing fee started after I was interviewed in a radio program. The interviewer asked me if I was willing to give the complainant some money, and I said in jest, why not?” he recounted.

But Paras admitted that he once talked to Erice about the issue of Poe’s citizenship and her alleged lack of residency to run for president.

“I told him that if Senator Poe seeks the presidency and becomes the opponent of Mar Roxas, why don’t we join efforts to raise these issues before the proper forum? Egay (Erice) was non-committal,” he said.

Paras also reiterated his determination to question Poe’s citizenship and her alleged lack of the required 10-year residency here once she declares she is running for president.

“I am not running for public office anymore and I just want these issues resolved,” he said.

‘Not an emotional issue’

Paras lamented that Poe’s camp “is trying to make the citizenship question an emotional issue.”

Emotion should not come into play in a legal question, “unless you want to hide something,” he added.

Before David filed his SET case, Paras had told a Quezon City news forum that Poe would be short by at least six months of the required 10 years by May 9, 2016, the date of the next elections.

Poe remains coy about her plans for 2016, but said she would meet the residency requirement by the time of the elections and therefore was qualified for the presidency.

Magdalo ready to back Grace

Should Poe decide to run for president, the Samahang Magdalo of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV is ready to back her.

Trillanes said that the leaders of the 500,000-strong group have decided to endorse Poe as president and that she has been informed about this.

“If Senator Poe runs for president, our Magdalo group would support her. We have conducted extensive consultations among our chapter leaders the past few weeks and she is the preferred candidate for the 2016 presidential elections,” Trillanes said.

He said the group based its decision on the basis of which candidate would be able to do the most good for the country.

Tarpaulins for FPJ’s birthday or Grace?

In Pangasinan, there are big tarpaulins with messages for the 76th birthday of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., a National Artist and the adoptive father of Senator Poe.

“FPJ’s 76th birthday August 20, 2015. Ang Bagong Bayan Poe,” reads one tarpaulin with a photo of the movie icon in Calasiao town.

“Magpapatibay sa Magandang Pilipinas. I am for GP 2016. Gabay ng Panday,” reads another tarpaulin in Rosales town.

Residents said GP could also mean Grace Poe.

Blue, white and yellow ribbons were also tied around trees, posts and tricycles across the province yesterday.

The elder Poe ran for president in 2004, but lost to then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo amid allegations of massive cheating.

Rosendo So, the elder Poe’s campaign manager in Pangasinan in 2004 and a strong supporter of Senator Poe, told The STAR that many people in Pangasinan remembered the late actor’s birthday and wanted to show their “love and support” for him. But So declined to comment on the possible meaning of the ribbons and tarpaulins.

He just said, “Let the people think.”

Senator Poe is reportedly scheduled to visit Pangasinan on Aug. 26 for campus tours. – With Marvin Sy, Eva Visperas