Former senatorial candidate Rizalito David files petition at Senate Electoral Tribunal to remove Senator Grace Poe from post. (UNTV News)
MANILA, Philippines — Former senatorial candidate Rizalito David arrived past ten o’clock at the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET), Wednesday.
David was supposed to file a quo warranto petition against Sen. Grace Poe, requesting the tribunal to remove her from office.
“Sen. Llamanzares has no right to sit in the Senate because she is stateless. She neither an American citizen nor a Filipino citizen; constitutionally that is wrong,” claimed David.
In his 16-page petition, David said Poe is an adopted child and is not a natural-born citizen.
There is also an alleged misrepresentation on her certificate of candidacy filed during 2013 elections. David indicated that Poe lied when she supposedly complied with the two-year residency requirement for the senatorial candidacy.
Her American passport is also a proof that she was still an American citizen when she chaired the MTRCB.
To provide support to his claims, David attached in his petition, Poe’s certificate of candidacy; re-acquisition of Philippine citizenship documents and other travel records of Poe.
However, the senate electoral tribunal rejected the petition because David was not ready to pay the filing fee of 50 thousand pesos
Secretary of Tribunal Atty. Irene Guevara said, “The reason why the office did not accept the pleading is because there was no filing fee in accordance with our rule. Of course, there is an administrative cost, that’s our fund for the office to move.”
David expressed his frustration with said ruling. “This is an ongoing injustice against the Filipino people. So in order to secure justice I need to pay 50 thousand?”
Turning to the public for support, David urged, “If you can come here and if you can contribute even 100, 500 or 1000 to raise the 50 thousand for this petition.”
Along with Sen. Grace Poe, David ran in the 2013 senatorial race but was not given a chance in the senate.
Meanwhile, former senatorial candidate Rizalino David denied he was paid and influenced to file a petition against Sen. Grace Poe. He said, he just did what he thought was right and just.
“Have we lost all sense of nobility that we have to be paid just to do something good; to do something right? I think this is a noble act. I don’t have to be paid. I don’t need somebody behind me to do this,” said David. (JOYCE BALANCIO / UNTVNews)