Farmer claims to be Grace’s stepfather

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – A 75-year-old farmer from Murcia town, Negros Occidental is claiming he acted as stepfather to Sen. Grace Poe for a few days after her birth, before she reportedly went missing in a church.

Alfredo Ledesma Arsenio of Barangay Caliban said in an interview over dyRL that he and Poe’s alleged biological mother Ma. Luz Reyes were penpals and that she was already pregnant with Poe out of wedlock when they decided to meet for the first time in 1968 in Iloilo.

Arsenio said the baby’s biological father – a certain Felix Aquilesca – went to Mindanao after getting Reyes pregnant.

Arsenio said he and Reyes decided to live together as couple in El 19th Street in Jaro, Iloilo City.

Reyes gave birth at the Mandurriao Provincial Hospital and named her baby Mary Grace Aquilesca, he said.

He said the baby he had called Mary Grace was only 12 days old when he and Reyes brought her along to Jaro church to attend mass.

He related that while inside the church, Reyes – who was not feeling well at the time – suddenly had chills and died.

He said the baby was lost during a commotion triggered by Reyes’ suddenly falling dead.

Arsenio said he is very sure that the baby and the now Senator Poe are one and the same based on their looks.

He said he had tried to look for the missing Mary Grace until financial constraints forced him to give up and just return to Negros with borrowed money.

A retired Bacolod judge earlier offered a reward of P300,000 to anyone who can provide credible information regarding the real parents of Poe, whose presidential bid is being threatened by questions regarding her citizenship and residency status.