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While he supports its filing, Vice President Jejomar Binay denied Thursday that he is behind case filed before the Senate Electoral Tribunal questioning the citizenship of Senator Grace Poe.
NECESSARY CASE?
Speaking to reporters, the Vice President denied any participation or knowledge about the case filed by Rizalito David, who is a former chief of staff of former senator Kit Tatad. Tatad is a known ally of Binay.
“Basta’t ako, lalo na ako, malinis ang konsensya ko diyan. Nalaman ko nga lang kagabi,” he said.
He added: “Minsan lagi tayong nagtatawanan eh ‘di lahat ng mga gagawin ko pagbibintangan ka? Wala namang logic yata ‘yun. Basta’t ito, sa deretsahang usapan, wala akong kinalaman.”
Binay said the case is the only way to resolve the questions against Poe who is now a favorite in political surveys, outdoing Binay and Secretary Mar Roxas in the presidential race.
He said the case will be an uphill fight for Poe.
“Mahirap na kaso, ang kalaban mo dokumento. The best way, the only way by which you can get out, yung consequence of a document is to question the existence of the document,” said Binay, who is a lawyer himself.
It was Binay’s camp who initially questioned Poe over her reported failure to meet the minimum residency requirement to run for higher office.
United Nationalist Alliance president Tobias Tiangco earlier said Poe is not qualified to run for president or vice president since her stay in the Philippines falls short of the 10-year constitutional requirement for such candidates.
He said Poe only placed six years and six months residency in her certificate of candidacy in the 2013 elections. Under the Constitution, a candidate for president or vice-president must be a resident for 10 years before the election.
Poe has rejected the accusation, saying she has been in the Philippines since 2005 or for more than 10 years now.
Makati Rep. Abigail Binay, daughter of the vice-president, later called for an end to the word war and said questions on Poe’s residency are best settled in court.
VP TO PALACE: WHY SO ANGRY?
Meanwhile, the vice-president also criticized Malacanang for questioning the presentation of his “true State of the Nation Address” (TSONA) at Cavite State University in Indang, Cavite last Monday.
The Commission on Higher Education earlier said it will investigate a report that the CSU central student government required all third year and fourth year students to attend an August 3 student assembly, which turned out to be Binay’s TSONA.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda also posted a photo of a memo dated July 30 showing the required attendance of students to the event.
”Pres. Divinia Chavez of Cavite State University should perhaps explain why students were required 2 attend VP’s TSONA,” Lacierda said on Twitter.
Binay, however, said the holding of the student assembly should not even be an issue.
“Ewan ko bakit ba ini-issue at pina-iimbistigahan pa ‘yung presidente ng eskwelahan? Wow! Anong nangyari doon sa academic freedom? Bakit ba nagagalit sila doon? ‘Pagka sila gumagamit ng mga government funds, government properties?” he asked.
He said he has no regrets about attending the event, saying he was invited by the student council to speak before the gathering.
“Unang-una na, kaharap mo talaga ‘yung hindi plastic ‘yung mga tao. Hindi ‘yung mga tinakot para umattend o kung ano. At tsaka, ang puno’t dulo ‘nun naanyayahan akong magsalita doon. Gusto akong mapakinggan ng mga estudyante at mga guro kung ano ang aking pananaw doon sa mga issues,” he said.
The Vice President accused the Palace of trying to divert attention away from the issues he raised.
He said he will come to the aid of school administrators if the government takes legal action against school officials.
Text: Jorge Carino, ABS-CBN News
Photo: News clip
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
