Former president Fidel V. Ramos on Wednesday said the people鈥檚 mandate should prevail amid the disqualification cases hounding presidential aspirants Sen. Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
In a forum at the Kamuning Bakery Cafe in Quezon City, Ramos said the decision on whether to allow Poe and Duterte to claim the highest position in the land should be left to the voting public through their ballots.
鈥淟et us give the benefit of the doubt to the people directly concerned. Let the people decide,鈥� Ramos said.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is currently deliberating on the case of Poe, who had been disqualified from the 2016 presidential derby by the poll body鈥檚 1st and 2nd divisions over legal issues on her citizenship and residency.
READ: Comelec 1st division disqualifies Poe from 2016 presidential race聽
Duterte is also facing a disqualification case over the validity of his substitution of Martin Di帽o as standard-bearer of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan for a supposedly erroneous entry in the latter鈥檚 certificate of candidacy.
搁贰础顿:听Duterte dissuades supporters from holding vigils, protests over disqualification case聽
Ramos warned that that the public may be left with only one choice for president if 鈥渢his process of elimination鈥� will continue.
鈥淲e may end up with only candidate for president if we follow this process of elimination, which is not [how] the people want it,鈥� he said.
Poe previously traced moves to disqualify her from the 2016 race to the lady senator鈥檚 rivals, particularly administration bet and former Interior secretary Manuel 鈥淢ar鈥� Roxas II and opposition leader Vice President Jejomar Binay. CDG