Poe still allowed to file candidacy despite DQ case

MANILA, Philippines - Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Andrew Bautista on Monday clarified that Sen. Grace Poe may still file her certificate of candidacy for president despite the disqualification case filed against her before the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).

"This pertains to her position in the Senate... If she files here... it will be different qualifications," Bautista said in a press conference during the first day of filing of certificates of candidacy for the 2016 elections.

The SET is yet to decide on the issue whether Poe is a natural-born Filipino citizen or not.

Defeated senatorial candidate Rizalito David earlier filed the disqualification case against Poe, claiming that she is not a natural-born citizen and lacks the residency requirement for her position.

The tribunal ruled out the senator's residency requirement and decided to focus on her citizenship issue instead.

Poe will run as an independent presidential candidate with Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero as her running mate.

She topped the latest presidential preference polls conducted by the Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia.