Search continues for Poe’s bloodline
DAGUPAN City— The search of Sen. Grace Poe for her blood relatives is back to square one after DNA test results of the family of Lorena Rodriguez-Dechavez again turned negative.
This was revealed by Poe herself while on the hustings here at her adoptive father’s home province. Poe-Llamanzares is on a twin mission – seeking the presidency and at the same time seeking her own identity, her bloodline to claim her right to stay in contention.
“Yung mga succeeding ones from the family of Lorena, hindi rin nag match sa ngayon, (the succeeding ones from the family of Lorena also did not match),” Poe said, referring to DNA samples that were submitted for matching.
DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid, a nucleic acid that carries the genetic information of a person.
“Pero hindi naman kami nawawalan ng pag-asa sapagkat yung ating argumento sa Korte Suprema ay hindi nakabase sa DNA (test), ito’y nakabase sa mga karapatan ng mga batang napulot na magkaroon ng estado sa bansang ito, (We’re not losing hope because we are not using the DNA test as the basis of our arguments before the Supreme Court),” she noted.
Dechavez, a native of Guimaras Island, was one of the persons who approached the senator when she was in Iloilo. She also allowed the exhumation of her father’s remains to determine if they were related to the presidential candidate.
Nevertheless, she said, there are more people who have offered their help in tracing her bloodline.
“Meron pa namang ibang mga lumalapit. Pero sabi nga natin, siguro ito yung cause ko na ipaglaban at magkaroon na ng tuldok at magkaroon ng karapatan ang mga batang pulot (There are still others willing to help. But as I’ve said, maybe this is going to be my cause to fight and provide an end and establish the rights of foundlings),” Poe said.
Poe as a baby was left at a church in Jaro, Iloilo and later adopted by the King of Philippine movies Fernando Poe, Jr. and his wife, actress Susan Roces. Critics questioning her eligibility to run for president argue that a foundling is considered a stateless person and thus cannot seek higher government office. The senator is now fighting a legal battle in the Supreme Court to stay in the presidential race.
Nevertheless, she said, she will continue to fight for the rights, not only of foundlings, but all those underprivileged especially if she wins her case.
“May kapansanan man, basta may kakayanan ka at ikaw ay may paninindigan at katapatan, dapat pantay-pantay na magkaroon ng maging isang titser, maging isang abogado or pangulo ng korte suprema o mahistrado .. hindi po yan naka base lamang sa isang bagay katulad ng DNA test (whether you are physically disabled, as long as you have the ability and you have integrity and truthful, everyone should be treated equal, whether you are a teacher, a lawyer, a president or a magistrate, and that is not based on something like a DNA test),” she said.