Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — It’s the third session of oral arguments in the Supreme Court (SC) for Senator Grace Poe’s consolidated petitions against the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The poll body decided to cancel Poe’s certificate of candidacy (COC) for president, saying that she lacks the 10-year residency requirement of presidential candidates.
Also read: SC justices, Poe’s counsel tackle if foundlings are natural born citizens
Comelec Commissioners Arthur Lim and Rowena Guanzon on Tuesday (February 2) are expected to argue for the poll body.
Each of the commissioners will be given five minutes each, or a total of 10 minutes combined, for the poll body to present their case.
After their opening statement, the justices will start their interpellations.
LISTEN: Live audio streaming from the official account of the Supreme Court’s Public Information Office (PIO).
Aside from the Comelec, four more private respondents have yet to face the justices.
Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, who previously expressed that his office would take on the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s decision to uphold Poe’s citizenship instead of Comelec’s decision, was also required to argue his position.
The high court is also expected to decide on the motion of one of the respondents in Poe’s petitions, lawyer Estrella Elamparo, who asked the court to hold the oral arguments on a daily basis.
With barely four months to the May presidential elections, it is still unclear how long Poe’s case might take in the Supreme Court. The high tribunal alone could determine how many more session days will be allotted for Poe’s case.
