A LOSING senatorial candidate attempted to file on Wednesday a quo warranto petition against Senator Grace Poe at the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET), seeking to nullify the election of the neophyte lawmaker.
Ang Kapatiran 2013 senatorial candidate Rizalito David tried but failed to file the petition as he lacked the required P50,000 filing fee.
"I don't have P50,000 right now," David said.
David said Poe could not retain her seat as senator because she is not a natural-born citizen.
He said Poe is a "foundling" or stateless and could be unseated as a member of the Senate for not being a natural-born Filipino as required for in the Constitution.
"She was a foundling. Tapos naging Filipino citizen by virtue of the adoption. But the adoption does not accord to her a natural born status," said David.
He also insisted that Poe had used her American passport until 2009.
David appealed to the public to support him in his petition.
"Nakikiusap ako sa mga mamamayan. Hindi porke napaka-popular ang senador katulad ni Grace Poe eh nakakalimutan na natin ang rule of law," David said.
David said he and former Negros Oriental Representative Jacinto Paras had been talking and exchanging documents in a bid to unseat Poe.
Paras was the one who informed reporters about David's filing.
Paras, who supported Poe's father, the late Fernando Poe Jr., in the 2004 presidential race, previously said he would be the first to file a disqualification case against Poe should she decide to run for a higher post in 2016, citing the residency and citizenship issues earlier raised against her by some officials of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
He also said Poe seems "ambitious" in seeking higher office unlike her father who was more reluctant in the 2004 presidential race.
Poe welcomes petition
Poe welcomed David's move and said she was willing to refute all the accusations to prove that she is qualified to be a public official.
She added that she would willingly provide documents to a proper court or a proper forum to prove her Filipino citizenship to avoid possible tampering.
"When it comes to issues, we should welcome our critics and should answer (all the allegations charged against us)," Poe said, noting that she would not prevent those who will attempt to file a case against her.
"From the very start, I am not hiding anything… my life is an open book and this time, I can answer (all the issues that will be raised against me)," she added.
When asked who was behind the petition to unseat her, Poe did not name specific individuals but said were those who did not want the way she handles national issues.
Poe meanwhile dismissed the speculation that President Benigno Aquino III was behind the petition to unseat her.
Aquino had several meetings with neophyte senator before the former chose Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II as the administration presidential bet in 2016 elections.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda swiftly clarified that any move to discredit Poe would not surely come from the Aquino administration.
Lacierda was reacting on report, quoting former Senator Kit Tatad mentioning that the administration already got hold of an alleged classified document that could disqualify Poe as a sitting senator.
"The situation of former Senator Tatad is one of the misdirection. Obviously, you all know that President Aquino and even Secretary Mar Roxas would prefer Grace Poe to be the vice presidential candidate," he said in a regular press briefing in Malacanang.
Lacierda virtually said that any move to destroy Poe could probably come from the opposition.
"Senator Grace Poe and this administration know where that is coming from, and it definitely is not coming from this administration. It does not do us any good, and it is important for us that Grace Poe be part of our team, as part of the generational change that the President wants for the country," he said.
Top secret
Poe said that the document that had been shown to her was not about her citizenship but was a "top secret."
"It (The document showed to me) has nothing to do about my background. That (consists of) national security issues," Poe said.
"Why did he show that to me? I don't know. All I can say is that, whenever we talk, the President always says: Grace, I will give you a background, different case studies for you to know and understand all the struggles that a President is facing just in case you will be in that position," she added.
While she admitted that she felt discouraged at times, Poe said she has been ready at all times for more possible attacks.
Poe said she was not afraid of being criticized because she was telling the whole truth. She remains firm that she is a natural born Filipino.
Some lawmakers in the House of Representatives questioned the timing of the filing of the disqualification case against Poe.
1-BAP Party-list Representative Silvestre Bello III called David's botched filing of disqualification case "a pre-emptive move" by those threatened by Poe's possible presidential bid in 2016.
Poe has been topping the recent surveys on possible presidential candidates but she has not divulged yet her plan for next year's polls.
"It's obvious. A pre-emptive move against Senator Poe by those threatened by her possible presidential aspiration," said Bello.
Isabela Representative Rodolfo Albano III said the rise of Poe in various surveys shows that she is really the person to beat in next year's polls. (With SDR/Sunnex)