A DESPERATE ACT by people who want to stop her possible run in 2016 was how Senator Grace Poe viewed the failed attempt by a senatorial aspirant to file a petition to unseat her from the Senate.
Rizalito David was set to file this Wednesday a quo warranto petition before the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) against Poe but failed because he did not have a filing fee.
鈥淎ko鈥� humihingi ng pang-unawa sa ating mga kababayan, marami pa pong ganyan ang darating. Ikinalulungkot ko na hindi natanggap ngayon sapagkat ito sana鈥檡 pagkakataon na rin na mabigay ang aming panig at madepensahan ang aming sarili,鈥� Poe told reporters at the Senate.
(I鈥檓 asking for understanding from the people, more will come my way. It鈥檚 unfortunate that the petition has not been filed today (Wednesday) because it would have been an opportunity for us to give and defend our side.)
鈥淲ala naman po akong tinatago, umpisa pa lamang alam nyo ang aking pagkatao, alam nyo ako鈥檡 natagpuan, alam nyo kung sino ang nagpalaki sa akin, mga magulang ko. Alam nyong nakipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa at bumalik dito,鈥� she said.
(I have nothing to hide. From the start, you already know me. You know that I was a foundling, you know who took care of me, my parents. You know that I lived in another country and went back here.)
Poe noted that she has been in the Senate for three years now but it was only now that the issue was raised against her.
She was convinced then that the move was politically motivated, an apparent attempt to stop her possible run in 2016 but she refused to speculate who were the people behind it.
鈥淎yaw ko pong magbigay ng speculation dahil hindi naman po tama yun pero ano po ang intention ng mga taong gagawa nyan na hindi pa man ako nagpa-file ay mawala na ang aking interest?鈥� she asked.
(I don鈥檛 want to speculate because that鈥檚 not right but what could be the intention of the people behind it, so I would lost my interest even if I haven鈥檛 filed yet my candidacy?)
鈥淧ero ang pinaglalaban po kasi natin dito hindi lang naman ang aking pagtakbo kung hindi ang karapatan ng bawat batang Pilipino, nadampot man o may mga magulang, na magkaroon ng pagkakataon na manilbihan sa ating bansa sa anumang position.鈥�
鈥淏ut what we鈥檙e fighting here is not only my right to run but the right of every Filipino child, whether he is a foundling or he has parents, to have a chance to serve the country in whatever position.)
鈥淧angalawa, ang karapatan din naman na masabi natin na ang mga bagay na ito na dapat ang lumang estilo ng pulitika ay hindi mamayagpag sapagkat ilang beses na nilang ginagamit ang mga legalidad at teknikalidad upang makipag laban ito pong mga gumagamit nito sabi nila ay desperado. Naniwala ako sapagkat yun din an nangyari kay FPJ noon,鈥� she said.
Poe was referring to her late father, Ferdinand Poe Jr., who ran but lost to former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
鈥淕usto nilang apihin ang aking estado pero pag ako鈥檡 bumigay, sinong mawalalan ng karapatan dito? Hindi ba yung mga ibang mga batang hindi na matukoy ang kanilang mga magulang? At sino ang mamamayagpag dito? Ang mga taong luma ang estilo ng pulitika? Sila ba ang papayagan natin na mamuno pagkatapos ng administrasyong ito? Parang hind naman yata tama,鈥� she further said.
Poe said she is confident that she would win the case once it is filed in court as she has documents to prove that that she is a natural born Filipino.
鈥淎ko po ay tiwala at nagdadasal na maging patas ang ating korte sapagkat sa tingin ko naman dun pa lang sa kaso ng tatay ko ay malinaw na ang dapat patunguhan ng kasong ito,鈥� she added.