Presidential aspirant Sen. Grace Poe yesterday admitted that the two deoxyribonucleic acid tests she underwent to verify her kinship with probable biological relatives both turned out negative.
In an interview over radio DZMM, Poe disclosed that the persons who were tapped for the medical procedure did not match her DNA.
Poe is currently facing a slew of disqualification cases at the Senate Electoral Tribunal and the Commission on Elections. Senatorial candidate Rizalito David filed a disqualification case against Poe at the SET.
The senator’s camp has until today to submit pertinent papers to prove she is a natural-born citizen as the SET is set to rule on her disqualification case.
Poe, however, said she remains confident she will win the case, saying her camp has sufficient basis to support her claims she is a natural-born Filipino.
“Nung umpisa pa lang, ako ay pina-adopt ng estado. Ang estado natin di naman pwedeng magpa-adopt ng bata kung hindi ito kinikilala na isang citizen,” Poe said during the televised interview.
“Mahirap makipag argue sa isang Supreme Court justice pero di lang naman siya at ang opinion nya ang magiging decision para sa lahat,” said Poe of SC Associate Justice Antonio Carpio who assumed that the senator is a naturalized citizen.
Under the law, only natural-born citizens are allowed to run for president and vice president. It was Carpio who said that a DNA match would solve Poe’s case.
Poe is the adopted daughter of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ) and veteran actress Susan Roces. She was found abandoned in a church in Jaro, Iloilo City.
She declined to reveal the people whom she tapped for the DNA test, saying she wanted to preserve their privacy. “Ayoko ang sabihin kasi hindi nga nag-match,” she said.
Though she is disappointed at the results, Poe said she is not giving up the fight since she believes she has pure intentions in running for president.
“Maswerte na rin (ako) na ang issue (laban sa akin) ay hindi tungkol sa pagnanakaw at hindi pag ganap ng iyong trabaho,” she said. (HANNAH TORREGOZA)