Palace hands-off on issues vs Poe

Sen. Grace Poe leads the Senate committee hearing on party drugs and drug rehabilitation issues (Facebook photo)

MANILA — A Palace official on Wednesday declined to comment on the residency issue being thrown against Senator Grace Poe, whom President Benigno Aquino III has met regarding the 2016 national elections.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte, in a briefing, cited Poe’s statement that “she is ready to defend herself against these technicality issues relative to the residency requirement.”

“I don’t recall that she has declared her intentions or anything like that. But in this regard, we are quite sure that the good Senator will be capable of answering these questions that are being thrown at her,” she said.

President Aquino earlier said he already had a meeting with Poe but stressed that his party, the Liberal Party, has not yet decided on their standard bearer for next year’s presidential elections.

Name of their presidential bet for the 2016 elections would be announced after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July, he said.

Poe is one of the personalities being considered as a possible contender in the presidential or vice presidential posts in next year’s polls.

However, the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) said Poe is not qualified to run for the top post in government because she does not meet the 10-year residency requirement.