Senator Cynthia Villar expressed doubts on Tuesday that the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) would reverse its ruling against the disqualification case against Senator Grace Poe.
Villar was one of the five member-senators of the SET who voted to junk the quo warranto petition filed against Poe by defeated senatorial bet Rizalito David over her citizenship.
鈥淎y hindi (No),鈥� Villar said when asked if she thinks the SET would still reverse its decision against the case.
鈥淚 think ang more na tatanungin natin would be after us, 鈥榶ung motion for reconsideration sa SET, kung 鈥榶un din ang decision, then he goes to the SC, doon ang fight,鈥� she said, referring to David, who appealed against the tribunal鈥檚 decision.
(I think what we should ask about would be that after us, the decision of the SET on the motion for reconsideration would be the same, then he goes to the SC, that鈥檚 where the fight is.)
READ: 鈥楧ecision on Poe not purely legal鈥�
Villar said it would be difficult to explain if a member who voted against the case would suddenly change his or her decision.
The four other SET members who voted against the case were Senators Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Vicente 鈥淭ito鈥� Sotto III and Bam Aquino.
Villar said she would no longer change her vote, explaining that she conducted a study and research and even consulted two lawyers before she reached the decision.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a combination ng ating mga advocacies and the same time may basis naman din sa legal (It鈥檚 a combination of our advocacies and, at the same, it has also legal basis),鈥� she further explained.
Besides, Villar said, David failed to prove that Poe or her parents were not Filipinos.
鈥淣anaig din 鈥榶ung pagka-foundling nya, 鈥榶ung advocacy natin towards children and then, at the same time, 鈥榶ung will of the people; kasi she was elected, so that must be the will of the people, so sa amin, may weight din 鈥榶un, 鈥榶ung will of the people.鈥�
(Her status as a foundling also prevailed, as well as our advocacy toward children and then, at the same time, the will of the people; she was elected, so that must be the will of the people, so for us, that also has weight, the will of the people.)
READ: Pia Cayetano backs Duterte but stands by decision to junk Poe case
She also rejected criticisms that their decision in favor of Poe was just political.
鈥淏akit naging political (Why would that be political)? I can鈥檛 understand that when the basis [is your] child advocacy, that鈥檚 not political. And when the basis is the will of the people, that鈥檚 not political. It鈥檚 the wish of the people,鈥� she said.
鈥淎nd at the same time, sinasabi nga nila kung hindi dapat i-consider yun, dapat nilagay sa SET would be all justices, hindi nila nilagyan ng senator (they say that [the decision] should not be considered, that the SET should be composed of all justices, no senators). The mere fact that [the membership of the SET] is a combination of justices and senators that means [there are other considerations] other than [just legal ones].鈥� CDG