Solons: New CoC rule no effect on Grace Poe

Lawmakers expressed belief yesterday that the Commission on Elections’ resolution requiring candidates for the 2016 polls to declare in their certificates of candidacy (CoCs) if they renounce their citizenship is not directed against presidential aspirant Sen. Grace Poe.

Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr., vice chairman of the Liberal Party, said the poll body has “no intention” to highlight the citizenship questions hounding Poe’s presidential bid when it issued Resolution No. 9989 which provides that a wouldbe candidate shall declare: “I executed a sworn renunciation of foreign citizenship.”

“I am sure, that’s not the intention (to highlight Poe’s citizenship issue while campaigning),” Belmonte said when asked if the promulgation of Comelec resolution on Sept. 17, 2015 could be considered as a ploy to inform the public that Poe once renounced her Filipino citizenship.

Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, a declared senatorial bet and a stalwart of Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) agreed with Belmonte, explaining that the Comelec’s move was an offshoot of the August 18, 2015 ruling of the Supreme Court (SC) in the Arnado vs. Comelec case. In that case, the High Court ruled that people with dual citizenship may run for public office in the Philippines, provided that they meet the qualifications set by the Constitution and existing laws; and make a personal and sworn renunciation of foreign citizenship when they file their CoCs.

“This will have no impact on Sen. Poe’s campaign. This is an offshoot of the disqualification of the town mayor from Lanao del Norte,” Gatchalian said.

Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, NPC spokesman, also welcomed the Comelec’s decision, as he refuses to believe that it would affect Poe’s presidential bid.

“In my own opinion, Sen. Grace Poe has officially renounced her American citizenship. Thus, will have no effect on her CoC filed,” he said.

“I personally welcome this innovative move of the Comelec. This would lessen election protests that would allow the commissioners to instead focus on preparing the election proper,” Enverga said.

The Comelec cited the need to amend the CoC forms following the enactment of Republic Act (RA) No. 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 and the recent SC decision in the Arnado vs. Comelec case.

Section 5 of RA 9225 specifically grants full civil and political rights with those seeking elective public office to those who retain or re-acquire Philippine citizenship under this law.

The amendment to the CoCs was introduced as losing senatorial bet Lito David asked the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) to unseat Poe from the Senate over citizenship questions.

Poe, who declared her presidential bid last September 16, insisted that she is a Filipino.