Comelec disqualifies Grace Poe on 2016 presidential race

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Commission on Elections disqualified Senator Grace Poe from 2016 presidential race due to her failure to meet the residency requirement of the 1987 Constitution for the presidential candidates.

In a vote of 3-0 by the Comelec’s second division, the favor went in the petition filed by Atty. Estrella Elamparo, who seeked the cancellation of Poe’s certificate on candidacy for president.

Sen. Francis Escudero, Poe’s running mate, confirmed her disqualification and got the information before the official announcement, but did not provide any details.

Elamparo said that Grace Poe failed to meet the 10-year residency requirement of presidential candidate mandated in the 1987 Constitution.

According to the second division of Comelec, Poe became a Filipino resident on July 2006 when she applied for dual citizenship, making her two months short meeting the 10-year residency rule.

However, Poe’s lawyers insisted that she became a resident in May 2005, but her camp will appeal the decision with the Comelec en banc.

The petition was just one of the four petitions of Elamparo seeking to disqualify Poe from the presidential race.