Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Allowing Sen. Grace Poe to disown her senatorial certificate of candidacy (COC) sets a dangerous precedent.
This is among the arguments of former University of the East law dean Amado Valdez in his comment to Poe’s petition for certiorari against her disqualification.
In his comment filed before the high court Monday afternoon (January 11), Valdez said Poe’s own entries in her senatorial COC in 2013 mathematically sums her Philippine residency up to the upcoming elections to eight years, eleven months, and twenty-five days — clearly short of the ten-year requirement for a presidential candidate.
Also read: More opposition on Poe’s petition in SC: David against consolidation of cases
Valdez said allowing Poe to disown her own entries would “open the floodgates to endless litigation and arguments” that will paralyze the electoral and judicial system.
Valdez is one of the petitioners who asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to cancel Poe’s candidacy for president because she is not a natural-born Filipino.
Poe brought the matter to the high court after the Comelec granted the disqualification case against her.
Valdez also insisted his position that Poe only regained her Philippine citizenship and not her natural-born status.
He argued the natural-born status can never be restored once it is lost.
Valdez also rejected Poe’s claim that the Comelec failed to fairly weigh evidence she submitted.
Also read: Decide Poe’s case based on law, not on surveys, Elamparo tells SC
The former law dean said there is no doubt the poll body performed its positive duty in considering all evidence submitted by both the respondents and the petitioners with impartiality.
Valdez ultimately wants the high court to cancel Poe’s presidential candidacy and dismiss her petition against her disqualification by the poll body.
