How can Grace Poe run the Philippines properly if she cannot even fill out a form accurately?

Never mind the issues surrounding her citizenship and residency status, what Filipino voters need to worry about is whether Senator Grace Poe is fit to lead the Philippines or not. It’s actually mind-boggling how her detractors are focusing too much on the technicalities of her qualifications to run for the Presidential election in 2016 considering she hasn’t actually announced she is running or at least filed for her certificate of candidacy for the Presidency.

Allegiance questioned: How long has Senator Grace Poe been residing in the Philippines?

Allegiance questioned: How long has Senator Grace Poe been residing in the Philippines?

Having said that, it’s hard to blame Poe’s rival in the surveys for digging up her “past” to try and knock her down the ratings game for the meantime. After all, it’s hard to make star-struck voters look past Poe’s celebrity status so one might as well exercise due diligence and deduct some brownie points according to the rules. Vice President Jejomar Binay denies he had anything to do with it but Poe believes that the Veep has released his hound, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) interim president, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco to go after her because he is “scared” of Poe’s popularity.

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SOCIAL COMMENTARY!
Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. Opt into a paid subscription and you'll get premium insider briefs and insights from us.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider!
Learn more

Tiangco has revealed that Poe is not qualified to run for the Presidency in 2016 due to her residency in the country being less than 10 years – the minimum amount of time required to qualify for the highest post in government as per the Philippine Constitution. In her defense, Poe said she made a mistake in her certificate of candidacy application form for the senatorial race back in 2013 when she wrote down she had been a resident of the Philippines for six years and six months only.

Poe claimed “she had a wrong appreciation of the questions resulting in her wrong answer” and now insists that she had been in the Philippines since 2005 but indicated 2006 in the form instead because that’s when her house in the United States was sold. Okay. Let’s file that under “Things that make you go hmmm…

If you think about it, if Poe cannot even fill out a simple form like a certificate of candidacy accurately, how can the voters expect her to run the country properly? This is something the public should consider seriously. Poe’s statements don’t help her case either. A number of people who used to look up to her are slowly getting turned off with the way she acts like a traditional politician. She brushes off questions about her residency and citizenship status as if the constitutional requirement to qualify for the Presidency is not that important as long as she says she has been “honest”.

Unfortunately for Poe, some legal experts have now dug deeper than Tiangco and pointed out that Poe’s residency in the Philippines started only when she renounced her US citizenship in 2010 “after being offered the chairmanship of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) after President Aquino assumed office.” Here is what former University of the East (UE) College of Law Dean Amado Valdez had to say about it:

Based on his reckoning, Poe-Llamanzares would be lacking at least four years in the residency requirement if she would decide to run in the May 9, 2016 presidential elections and not six months as bared by Tiangco in his press briefing last Tuesday. “When she acquired her American citizenship, it was indicative of her intent to abandon her former domicile,” said Valdez, who also sits as the chairman emeritus of the Association of Philippine Law Schools (APLS).

Contrary to her claim that she was really a resident of the Philippines for over 10 years now, Valdez said “initial evidence shows preponderance of evidence that she had the intention to remain in the United States, and therefore her residence and her domicile were in the United States.”

“The beef here is where you place the timeline when the renunciation was made,” said Valdez.

Vice President Jejomar Binay: Did he release his hounds on Grace Poe?

Vice President Jejomar Binay: Did he release his hounds on Grace Poe?

Poe’s chances of joining the Presidential Election in 2016 are not looking good, indeed. It’s quite baffling why she would want to join the fray in the first place. She doesn’t seem to be cut out for the ugly world of politics. She said she was “hurt” by the Binay camp’s move since Binay was her late father, actor Fernando Poe Jr.’s friend. If she is easily hurt, why would she subject her young children and husband to the demolition job employed by her rivals particularly since her rivals do not have any qualms about going below the belt – bringing up sensitive issues such as the fact that she was adopted and questioning who her real parents are? Is she that confident that she will win the election?

Putting her residency and citizenship issues aside, why did Poe even think she would be fit to be Philippine President to begin with? Does she have a plan for how to transform the Philippines from Third World to First World? How is she going to solve the problems plaguing the nation? She’s only been a senator for two years and has not accomplished anything significant in that short time. Some people think that her popularity has gotten into her head since the survey shows that she is second choice to Binay in the ratings for the Presidency.

One thing is for sure, Poe’s honesty – a quality she says she possesses, is in doubt. This is something her late father FPJ cannot help her with. While the Filipino public may not be interested in what type of leader she will be, the so-called patriots may want to know where her allegiance lies – is it with the Philippines or her adoptive country, the United States?

55 Replies to “How can Grace Poe run the Philippines properly if she cannot even fill out a form accurately?”

  1. You can just look at Ms. Poe’s U.S. Passport. When did she aarived in the Philippines? Or ask the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). When did she Renbounced her U.S. citizenship? Are we not the 52nd State of the U.S.? Ah…the U.S. does not want us…

    It is now again part of : (1) digging “dirt” on your political opponnents. (2) mudslingings.
    (3) character assasinations.

    The important issues, are set aside. The thievery of politicians, are not even touched with a ten-foot pole. Time again for political zarzuelas. The gullible and idiotic voters are again,entertained and enjoying the political shows.

    What a stupid country; populated by stupid people.

    1. Also shame on those who stay in their ivory tower and pontificate what’s wrong with the country and yet do nothing to educate nor contribute to the upliftment of the masses. It’s easy to see what’s wrong but it takes charater to do something to make a difference even in a small way.

      1. “…yet do nothing to educate nor contribute to the upliftment of the masses.

        What’s your basis in saying that? Do you have any proof?

        Criticising public servants who have the power to make or break the Philippines is another way of making a difference. If people don’t complaint, public servants will think they are doing a great job. I can’t believe I had to point that out.

  2. I suddenly remember a particular strip from Pugad Baboy, where Polgas stated that ‘if you want to find out your family lineage, just run for the Presidency, and your opponents will do that for you, free of charge’.

  3. No person has a good enough memory to make a successful liar. Every lie is two lies — the lie we tell others and the lie we tell ourselves to justify it.

  4. One more thing. Did she file and pay taxes in the Philippines for tax year 2005 or did she file in the US as required to all residents? What tax year did she start filing for after leaving the US? Will Kim Henares be looking into this? If she is still being courted by the yellows then I wouldn’t hold my breath.

    1. Good questions, Hector. I do hope people can look past her celebrity status and find out if her citizenship is not just for convenience sake.

  5. Ms Ilda, wala ka na bang ibang isyu na mahalungkat against Grace Poe? Dahil lang ba lapses in the certificate entries,ibig sabihin basehan na ito ng buong competence ng isang tao sa lahat na bagay? Please check your fallacies. Hindi naman lahat na readers dito mga tanga para lunokin ang iyong propaganda.

    1. What propaganda? You need to read the article properly or work on your comprehension skills.

      I asked a simple question in the article. What makes you think she is fit to be the President of the Philippines? Please don’t give me she is “honest” crap.

      1. Grace is probably not too ‘honest’ anyway.Her dad was the president.She gave up living and being a citizen of the USA for a 6 year gig at Aquino’s side as a Senator..Was it worth it?Probbly,with all the thieving going on there,BUT IDK, but I know already which country she would rather be president of, but no one even knows who Grace Poe is (‘isn’t she related to Edgar Allen Poe?”,most would guess.) in the states. If she sold her house in 2010, she took a financial beating on it (depending also on when she bought it) as that was the bottom of the real-estate crash in the USA. Like her or not, she will never be President of any country.

  6. I once flunked my Chemistry exam so i can never be a chemist

    I Once made a grammatical mistake so I can never be a writer

    I once kicked a cat when i was young so now I cant be an animal rights activist

    I like your logic Ilda… because it makes me laugh.
    I once was fat so I can never be a gym instructor

    In the same way, poe made a single mistake so she cant be president…

    1. I think you focused too much on one single issue I mentioned in the article. I suggest you focus now on the other issues particularly this one:

      “Putting her residency and citizenship issues aside, why did Poe even think she would be fit to be Philippine President to begin with? Does she have a plan for how to transform the Philippines from Third World to First World? How is she going to solve the problems plaguing the nation? She’s only been a senator for five years and has not accomplished anything significant in that short time. Some people think that her popularity has gotten into her head since the survey shows that she is second choice to Binay in the ratings for the Presidency.”

      1. Miss Ilda, so you admit that that part of your article is logical deprived? Like, how do you get the guts to involve yourself in political discussions when you don’t even have good logic?

        “If you think about it, if Poe cannot even fill out a simple form like a certificate of candidacy accurately, how can the voters expect her to run the country properly? ”

        have you ever tried debate in college? An argument like this would make you a butt of jokes. it combines more than two logical fallacies in one sentence.

        Now you tell me to focus on other things and ignore that? Lols. That’s red herring.

        Like, if you can’t shape a better argument than this please do the country a favor and stop writing about political issues.

        1. Like, if you’re just here for trolling then please do us a favor and stop trolling on this site.

        2. This comment from ron is not trolling. It is using sound thinking to dispel arguments that are poorly arrived at. By the same logic nobody would be able to run for President… She did not lie on her certificate after all. The question could have been misinterpreted by anyone since her “Residence” prior to that was (and maybe one of many) an actual brick and mortar house in the U.S… To say that GP has not accomplished anything of significance in the Senate is also a fallacy… To deduce that she lacks the capacity for higher office without any proof of that is misleading… So yes, this literary sasha, by definition, is propaganda… Now if that was not the intention, then okay, fine, less than propaganda then.

        3. @Rochelle Farrales

          Excuse me but I didn’t say that Poe lied in her certificate of candidacy. You need to read my article properly. This time, if you could please read it in its entirety. Like Ron, you seem to be stuck with the title.

          By the same logic nobody would be able to run for President…

          Do you actually think that is what I meant – that people who make mistakes cannot run for the Presidency anymore? Tsk tsk…you based your opinion on the wrong assumption.

          Having said that, there are mistakes and then there is Poe’s mistake. The difference is, her mistake can cost her the Presidency. She can insist that she made a mistake in her CoC but it is up to the courts if they will accept her excuse just so she can be qualified to run.

          The question could have been misinterpreted by anyone since her “Residence” prior to that was (and maybe one of many) an actual brick and mortar house in the U.S…

          That’s pure speculation on your part. You don’t know her personally so that means you don’t know what you are talking about.

          To say that GP has not accomplished anything of significance in the Senate is also a fallacy… To deduce that she lacks the capacity for higher office without any proof of that is misleading…

          Then please provide us with proof that she has accomplished something significant that would be enough for us to say “Yes, she is fit for the Presidency after only three years in the senate!”

          No, this article is not propaganda. It was written to make people think. 😉

        1. At least that’s better than pretending to be intelligent. If we are in a debate Ilda, I can wipe your face on the floor in 2 minutes.

        2. Wow…I’d love to see that. When do you plan to show us you can “wipe my face on the floor in 2 minutes”?

          C’mon, no one is stopping you from attempting to do it.

          I wonder who is pretending to be intelligent around here. 😉

      1. The dumb tries to rescue the dumb. Lols… dude there was no metaphor in my comment. If you want to name it something, call it as it is an analogy. gano ba kayo talaga ka bobo?

      2. @ron, So where’s your argument then? I don’t see one in any of your comments above. You are metaphorically-challenged as I said because rather than argue on the bigger point, you zeroed in on a literal point that was meant itself to be a figurative analogy.

        Easy to say you can wipe anybody’s face on the floor when you apply a style like that – because people who argue on small points habitually miss the bigger picture.

        1. You can tell someone already lost the debate the minute he resorts to ad hominem attack. 😉

        2. Pointing out illogical argument is in itself an argument.

          How Ilda is wrong?

          1. She equivocates signing a certificate of candidacy with Presidency. Its non sequitur. basically her argument is that since Poe once made a mistake in signing one certificate, she will not know how to do the duties of the president. Isnt that too dumb?

          2. Over generalization. because she made a minor mistake once, it means she is no longer capable of becoming a president. Unfortunately a single mistake is not an indication how she will do as a president.

          3. Too Shallow. her arguments against Poe’s qualification is as shallow as her mental abilities. In fact, she just rephrased the arguments given by her idols. No original arguments, just parroting.

          I know you are proud of having written an article, albeit a mediocre and illogical one. Yay! She made an article! Peymous!!!! but let me tell you, If your article has this much faulty logic how will it pass the test of truthfulness?

          Wow nag google siya ng ad homimen. Lols… you need more than that to repair this sorry article of yours.

        3. Ron’s arguments come across like he is someone who is not capable of reading past the title of the article…tsk tsk.

          Ron can’t even follow my advice to focus also on the other issues that were mentioned. I’ll paste one here again so he can’t say he missed it:

          Putting her residency and citizenship issues aside, why did Poe even think she would be fit to be Philippine President to begin with? Does she have a plan for how to transform the Philippines from Third World to First World? How is she going to solve the problems plaguing the nation? She’s only been a senator for two years and has not accomplished anything significant in that short time. Some people think that her popularity has gotten into her head since the survey shows that she is second choice to Binay in the ratings for the Presidency.

          Yes, Senator Poe made a mistake and unfortunately, that mistake can cost her not just the Presidency, but also the public’s trust. Instead of apologising, she showed her arrogance. That argument is not shallow. Filipinos do not need another arrogant leader after PNoy. We need someone who is humble enough to admit her/his mistake and listen to her/his critics or at least address her/his critics without sounding too defensive. This early on, she is already coming across like someone who will use any excuse just to get away from accountability. This issue is a character test on Senator Poe, indeed.

          Wow nag google siya ng ad homimen. Lols… you need more than that to repair this sorry article of yours.

          Manong, looks like you are new to this site and do not know who you are dealing with. My next advice is for you to “take care”. 😉

        4. @ron, All your arguments are hinged on your one fixation on the title of the article (on your Item 1) that does not even represent the actual point of the piece because it was just meant to be a figurative tongue-in-cheek remark.

          And then, not noticing that you had already revealed the vacuousness of your mental faculties, you go on to issue sweeping opinions about the article without going down to specific points — “over generalization” (lol! “generalisation” na nga “over” pa…), “too shallow” (but of course you’d say that seeing that there’s not much to be said about the depth to which your arguments go).

          Tsk tsk. And so that is why Philippine politics is the way that it is — because people like you make a large (even majority) part of the electorate. They don’t call the Philippine electorate bobotante for nothin’. 😀

  7. Back in 2010, Noynoy Aquino was also perceived as “honest”. Look at what we have become. We need a President that can answer the questions in this article not another President with a catchy surname.

    BTW, Grace has been a senator for 2 years only (2013 election) and yes hasn’t accomplished anything significant.

  8. In my opinion, Poe anyway is not ready for the position. Why even consider her? Because of her very limited work in the Senate? She even told media in her early Senate days that she still need to learn about law making. We should be looking for a possible candidate that has a consistent background of good governance & ethics. Someone who has the “Leadership qualities”. She maybe at the right path but not yet really. She still need to prove her capabilities not Meer popularity like a lot of other politicians in the Philippines.

    1. How bout one that is not a thief ? that should be a he top of the list.mIw an article on the guys wife, who died in the plane crash in 2010.Like him,she is honest, so gets no pork for her constituents and no perks from her job as legislator, just a measely salary .And the ‘SPIN DR.s’ charactherize her as if she is some kind of hero, after the power players shunned her and FHITA, you can’t make this shit up. not even in the Fail-ippines.

  9. Grace Poe is most likely gonna end up NOYNOY 2.0 if she manage to win. She’ll be all hype at best. I don’t really get what people sees in her. If you don’t like neither Binay or Roxas, just wait for a more qualified or better candidate to run.

  10. In my opinion, nobody with name recognition here is even remotely capable of being the president of this disaster of a country. It also is my understanding that once a Filipino, always a Filipino so why does it matter that this creature chose to live in another country for a couple years? Does this mean that my Philippine born dual US/Philippine citizen would have to officially renounce his birth citizenship in America in order to run for office as “asshole in charge” of the toilet otherwise known as The Philippines?

    People here need to listen to people who have an actual platform and plan, rather than just looking at someone’s “celebrity” status when voting. Just exactly why is Grace Poe a “celebrity” anyway? She is ugly, white and stupid. Her only “qualification” for the presidency is she is the daughter of a shitty actor who also was not presidential material even though he most likely won the 2004 election had the votes been properly tabulated.

  11. To test the real character of a man, give him power. Well, it happened to BS PNoy, we saw how he used the power bestowed upon him, he abused it, and get back to all his opponents like mocking them, humiliating them, continue kicking them unto this day. All the times he has this delusional world that everything is okay which is contrary on what’s happening right now. Yet, Sen. Grace Poe seeing the same things just like BS Aquino which makes me think that, is she a delusional as well? If she really wanted to run a highest position in the government let say VP or President, she should be careful. In politics, there’s no real people or friend, most of them are leeches who will be sucking all her bloods just to get what they want and leave her once they are full. From what I been watching in TV, she’s not that smart and ready to become the “Big One” in spite all the hype of Media. I still go with VP Binay if there’s no other choices at least he knows what he’s doing.

  12. I was amused by the above exchanges between Ron, Ilda and benignO. I am leaning more on Ron’s side. Ganyan tayong mga Filipino, edukado man o hindi. Hindi pinapasok sa kukute ang core ng pinag-uusapan…Puro personalan na lang ang laging kinahahantungan. Matindi pa kung makakuha ng kakampi para mang-gang up. Kailan tayo aasenso?

    1. May punto ka, Lomie. Medyo nawalan ako ng appetite to read GRP articles after reading the rather unprofessional way the discussions between Ron, Ilda and benignO were handled. Hindi ko sinasabing intelihente ako, pero sa isang debate, dapat sana ay meron tayong kahit katiting na respeto sa isa’t isa. Huwag tayong padadala sa emosyon natin, kundi mag-focus sana tayo sa KUNG ANO ang issue na pinagtatalunan. I was saddened after reading how Ilda and benignO handled the contradicting opinion of a commenter Ron. Again, I still believe in the power of public opinion. Let us acknowledge that Filipinos need to soften their “pikon” attitude towards contradictions.

      1. @Mario

        And where is the guy who bragged that he “can wipe my face on the floor in 2 minutes“? He never came back. 😉

        And you call us pikon for calling him on his bluff? Do yourself a favour, scroll up and see who was rude from the very start. Just because you don’t agree with our views doesn’t mean we were the rude ones.

        The problem with some Filipinos is they are only good at provocation but then act like victims when they get owned. This is the internet. There’s no room for cry babies here.

        1. I do not wish to dwell on this. I sense that you are carelessly leading me into what you did with that commenter Ron. My expectations would be higher on you guys to behave in a professional and tactful way since you are supposed to be “professionals” in your trade. I assume that you would be knowledgeable in directing the conversations into any positive outcome, should you have been really trained that way. I now see that I maybe wrong in my general assumption that you all “got it” about journalism ethics. I guess we should know how to shut up, when conversations are getting fruitless and harmful, both for the parties conversing as well as for the spectators, like me.
          I am sorry if my comment above has caused you to be defensive. I was just trying to express a criticism which I initially hoped would turn out to be helpful in your job as a journalist/writer. Media and writing are powerful tools to educate people. Be the example of good moral attitude. Sabi nga ni commenter Lomie, “kailan tayo aasenso?” I rest my case. Thank you for responding.

        2. @Mario

          If you did not want to “dwell” on it, you should have focused on the issues raised in the article instead of focusing on other people’s exchange. You see, another problem with some folks is they focus more on the form rather than the substance. They get “offended” very easily even when they are not part of the conversation. Just to highlight, what can you say about the topic itself? Wouldn’t you rather discuss the merits or demerits of having another on-the-job trainee for President like Poe than discuss your wrong perception about me? Also, I detect a certain bias in your tone. You conveniently ignored how Ron was rude from the very start. If you are new to the site, please be informed that I show respect to people who post their counter arguments in a civilised manner. Unfortunately, Ron didn’t.

          You should learn to enjoy being a spectator of this fine blogsite and leave the sparring to others if you can’t take the heat.

        3. There were people who managed to comment on the topic itself – voicing their views on Poe’s Presidential bid without minding our exchange with Ron. I’m just wondering why Mario couldn’t do that.

    2. @Lomie

      Apologies for not responding sooner. I don’t always respond to taunts. But since Mario brought my attention to your comment, I just have to clarify where you are coming from. It seems when a commenter like Ron attacks the writer using words like “dumb”, it’s perfectly okay with you. However, when the writer responds to an attacker like Ron using sound arguments, it becomes “personalan” and you suddenly see the writer as the bad guy. Never mind when it was Ron who peppered his comments with ad hominem in the first place.

      One can’t help but think that you just don’t like the criticism directed at Grace Poe that’s why you turn a blind eye to Ron’s rudeness. That kind of thinking is another product of Filipino victim mentality.

      BTW, do you actually have anything to add to the discussion that is relevant to the real issue like Poe’s qualification for the Presidency?

  13. If senator Grace Poe wins as the next president based merely on popularity as comeback to his father , this will be just another Cory.

  14. Poe stumble upon unexpected luck ! The Philipines ! Her mother’s country. Why would she settle in the US or anywhere else ? When here in her own country is where the realization she dream off to apply her political science kuno…to hango her aunt, mother from the drudgery of life in the US…her mother was super star before but end up in the US as a beautician…she go from town to town doing home service taking her retired american husband with her like baby sitting him lol…

  15. Nah, she’s not yet ready….i just wish more people would wake up and start thinking critically about the next election.

  16. The matter of Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares’ citizenship, (and the variety thereof), is of paramount importance. She must come out now, say, and prove to everyone that, not only is she qualified to be President, but that she is eligible for even the position she now holds. Satisfying this requirement, however, is only secondary to the issue of her real character.. and her sincerity, after denouncing her native country then; and, again, denouncing the host country that kindly gave her theirs.. so that she may reacquire her original citizenship to launch a political career.
    One other thing about Senator Poe-Llamanzares.. (and perhaps it’s just me).. is that should she win the Vice-Presidency, or worse, the Presidency, it would be an odd spectacle to see her American husband and children along side her as she is sworn into the high office(s) of the Philippines.

  17. Even if Grace is a natural born citizen, she is not fit to be president, in experience, in accomplishments. She is just pretending she knows everything, but is not providing solutions to country’s problems. Pwede bang walang maiiwang mahirap???, magpapagawa daw ng maraming infrastructures pero, babaan ang tax, saan siya kukuha ng pondo???
    Mahirap ang mga nangangako, conflicting and sinasabi niya. Sign ng sinugaling.

  18. Poe is real funny.the sws surveyed only 1500 people.she thinks she will win.this is a small fraction of the numbers of voters in the philippines.hoowahhh

  19. It seems like you have an agenda. If you are a true journalist you should only offer facts and not take sides. But by reading your article it is obvious you don’t like this person. Maybe jealousy or you are backing a a different candidate. Who knows. Just don’t make it o obvious, because when it is an attack on someone’s intelligence it is personal and makes you look less like a journalist and more like someone who should not be listened too. Just saying

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.