Pinagtibay kahapon ng Supreme Court (SC) ang desisyon ng Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) noong nakaraang taon na nagdedeklara kay Senator Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares bilang isang natural-born Filipino na kuwalipikadong maglingkod bilang miyembro ng Senado.
Sa botong 9-3, ibinasura ng Korte Suprema ang petisyong inihain ni Rizalito David, talunang kandidato noong 2013 midterm elections, laban kay Poe.
“Wherefore, the Petition for Certiorari is dismissed. Public respondent Senate Electoral Tribunal did not act without or in excess of its jurisdiction, or with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction in rendering its assailed November 17, 2015 Decision and December 3, 2015 Resolution. Private respondent Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares is a natural-born Filipino citizen qualified to hold office as Senator of the Republic,” saad sa desisyon ng kataas-taasang hukuman.
Nagpasalamat naman si Poe sa naging desisyon ng Korte Suprema: “I laud the (Supreme) Court in affirming my status, and in effect all other foundlings in the country, as natural-born Filipinos, with full rights to serve the nation. I sincerely hope that this will put the issue to rest, and that all foundlings be given due recognition each of us deserves.”
Archdiocese of Manila, hindi mag-eendorso ng kandidato sa eleksyon
Matatandaang uminit ang usapin sa pagiging natural-born ni Poe nang kumandidato siya sa pagkapangulo para sa halalan noong Mayo. (Beth Camia at Mario Casayuran
