Clueless POTP: Aquino wants high court to clear rules on citizenship

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This is, again, more of being a clueless President of the Philippines (POTP).

President Benigno S. Aquino III on Wednesday said the Supreme Court of the Philippines, which has allowed Senator Grace Poe to run in the presidential elections in May, should clarify the rules on citizenship.

“Sana iyong ating Korte Suprema, dito sa kanilang desisyon ay magbibigay talaga nang — iyong todong kalinawan o paglilinaw sa sambayanan na, in their role as educator as far as the law is concerned, para maging klarong klaro sa lahat ng ating mamamayan kung ano ba talaga ang mga alituntunin sa pagiging citizen or non-citizen ng ating bansa,” President Aquino said during a media interview held at the Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas province where he led the Philippine Air Force ceremonial change-of-command.

He declined to comment on the SCOTP decision, which has yet to be released, but said he wants to see how the decision addressed a number of issues.

“For instance, ‘yung tinanggap na niya (Senator Poe) ‘yung MTRCB position at sa totoo lang, ewan ko kung nakalimutan ko, pero ang pagkatanda ko, first time ko narinig na pumunta pa siya doon sa isang consular official ng Amerika in 2011 para i-renounce ‘yung citizenship kung saang panahon na MTRCB chair na siya.

Ni walang nagkwento sa akin, walang nagbalita, walang formal report noong panahon na iyon. At palagay ko naitanong ko rin bakit kailangan pang gawin dahil ang assumption ko nga ay matagal-tagal nang na-reacquire supposed to be ‘yung citizenship. So gusto kong makitang sana may tugon doon sa mga tanong tulad ‘non doon sa desisyon na hinihintay nating ilabas ng Korte Suprema,” he said.

President Aquino also noted the independence of the justices he has appointed to the high court.

“Tapos doon sa mga appointees natin, siguro palagay ko ‘di ba ‘yung itinalaga natin sila para maging independent. Ginawa nila ang independence nila,” he said.

Voting 9-6, the Supreme Court on Tuesday reversed the ruling of the Commission on Elections to cancel Poe’s certificate of candidacy.

The nine justices who voted in favor of Poe were Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco, Jr., Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Jose Portugal Perez, Jose Catral Mendoza, Marvic Leonen, Francis Jardeleza, and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa.

Sereno, Leonen, Jardeleza, and Caguioa were appointed by President Aquino.

The court has yet to release the full text of its decision. (PNA)

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