Press Release
December 4, 2015

POE: I AM ONLY TELLING THE TRUTH

Sen. Grace Poe stood pat on her pronouncement that Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Mar Roxas knew about the issues that could be used against her concerning her citizenship and residency when the LP was wooing her to be its vice-presidential candidate.

"Sinasabi ko ang totoo, hindi naman ako nagsisinungaling kung mayroon akong mga inaakalang mga bagay na hindi karapat-dapat," Poe said during a press conference in Surigao, which she visited with her running mate Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero.

She said it was impossible that Roxas and the LP leadership did not know of questions regarding her status as a citizen and resident of the Philippines. Aside from frequent news reports about her qualifications, she also discussed the issue during meetings with Roxas, who was then so persistent in inviting her to be his vice president.

Roxas is now singing a different tune, echoing his party mates' line that the ruling coalition just "presumed regularity" in Poe's citizenship and residency qualifications.

Poe said Roxas was not telling the truth when he told the media that she hid the issue from them.

"June pa lamang po nalathala na sa lahat ng mga papel nang yung isang partido ay nagpakita ng aking citizenship, di ba? Sinabi pa nga noong mga panahon na iyon na kulang daw ako sa aking residency dito. At saka noong nagkwekwentuhan naman kami ni Sec. Mar, sabi niya, ilang years din siya nanirahan sa Amerika at nagtrabaho siya doon. At alam niya rin na nandoon ako," Poe said.

"Wala naman akong sinisikreto," she said. "Bilang isang DILG secretary noon, alam niya siguro ang lahat, pati ang nga background namin."

The leading presidential contender also took a swipe at Roxas's offensive remark that she only has herself to blame for the legal obstacles she is facing now as a presidential candidate.

Had she agreed to run with Roxas, instead of pursuing the presidency as an independent, she would not be facing the string of disqualification cases confronting her now, Poe said.

The cases, she said, seek to take her out of the race to benefit her biggest rivals, who obviously mobilized the petitioners to file the petitions against her.

On Roxas's advice that she should simply answer the cases hurled at her, Poe said that is exactly what she's doing: participating in the process and facing all her legal battles squarely.

"Hinaharap ko ang lahat ng kaso na ito at sinasagot ko ang mga katanungan. Ang mga alegasyon sa akin, sinasagot ko," said Poe.

She also reiterated that in her years of service, she had acted swiftly on matters relevant to the ordinary Filipinos.

"Kahit maikli lang ang aking pagkakataong manilbihan, kalidad naman po ang serbisyo. Hindi naman ako umatras sa laban. At kung ano po o sino ang dapat managot ay lagi ko pong binabanggit," Poe said. "Hindi naman po ako nagaatubili na kumilos kung kinakailangan."

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