‘Up to SC to decide on Poe TV ad’

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Grace Poe’s 30-second video commercial that conveys to the public her unlikely disqualification from the presidential race is a mockery of proceedings in the Supreme Court, according to former senator Francisco Tatad.

His lawyer Manuelito Luna yesterday submitted a copy of the video to the Supreme Court at past 1 p.m. and filed a six-page compliance.

However, he did not ask the SC to stop the airing of the video on nationwide television.

They are leaving it up to the SC because it is a delicate matter, Luna said.

“This would also involve the balancing of the freedom of the press, also the sanctity of the proceedings of the SC,” he said.

“It is only the SC that knows best or in the best position to decide on what to do… We don’t want to second guess or preempt the SC.”

Luna said they decided to bring the matter before the SC because they believe that the commercial intends to influence the minds of the justices.

“We will not take this sitting down,” he said.  “This is an assault upon the rule of law and the independence of the Supreme Court.” 

The 30-second video shows four individuals talking about the consolidated cases against Poe and comparing them with the disqualification case faced by her father, the late Fernando Poe Jr., when he ran for president in 2004.

The SC is holding oral arguments on the challenge to the Commission on Elections and four private respondents, including Tatad, on the disqualification of Poe from the presidential race.

Luna said the characters in the video are saying that Poe will prevail in the end because the Supreme Court will side with her.

“That to our mind is a contumacious act, and the SC should act on it in accordance with its internal rules in order to preserve the respect to the court, because this is not an ordinary matter,” he said.