Undaunted by the Supreme Court decision that Sen. Grace Poe Llamanzares is a natural-born Filipino and qualified to be a member of the Senate, losing senatorial candidate Rizalito David said yesterday he will seek a reversal of the ruling.
Through his lawyer Manuelito Luna, David said that he will file a motion to reconsider last week’s SC decision that dismissed the disqualification case he filed against Poe in connection with 2013 senatorial election.
The dismissal of David’s petition affirmed the ruling of the Senate Electoral Tribunal that declared Poe a natural-born citizen.
“The High Court’s disposition in the SET case needs to be clarified. Its interpretation of the article on citizenship and the equal protection clause finds no support in the text thereof nor in the spirit of the law and indisputably amounts to an impermissible amendment of the Constitution without the consent of the people,” David said.
David insisted that the SET committed grave abuse of discretion in its decision that dismissed his petition to disqualify the lady senator.
Last week, in a 9-3 vote that dismissed David’s petition, the SC ruled: “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.”
Spokesman Theodore O. Te said “the SC ruled that the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s conclusions were in keeping with a faithful and exhaustive reading of the Constitution.” (Rey G. Panaligan)
