Grace Poe abandoned Filipino citizenship – Binay

MANILA, Philippines – After saying he values his ties with Senator Grace Poe, Vice President Jejomar Binay took a potshot at the neophyte senator for supposedly abandoning her Filipino citizenship. 

Binay used his speech at the 200th birth anniversary of local hero Apolinario de la Cruz, known as Hermano Pule, to take a swipe at the senator following reports she will run for president as an independent candidate. Poe overtook Binay as the front-runner in the presidential race, based on surveys released in June. 

In the speech in Tayabas, Quezon, Binay contrasted Poe with Pule, who he said came from the masses, and never turned his back on being Filipino. The Vice President said Pule even fought for his nationality, even at the cost of his own life.

“Masdan natin ang ating kapaligiran ngayon. Kapuna-puna, unang-una na, ang mga Pilipinong ipinanganak na Pilipino ngunit itinakwil ang pagka-Pilipino, at naging mamamayan ng ibang bansa. Mga nagsumpa na kakalabanin ang kanilang Inang Bayan, kung kinakailangan dahil sa kanilang panunumpa sa ibang bansa,” Binay said on Wednesday, July 22. 

(Let us look at our surroundings today. It is obvious that, first, there are Filipinos who were born Filipino but abandoned being Filipino, and became citizens of another country. They took an oath to fight their motherland, if needed, because of their oath to another country.) 

The opposition standard-bearer was referring to reports that Poe took an oath of allegiance to the United States in order to be a naturalized American citizen. Before joining government, Poe studied, lived and worked in the US, and married a US citizen. 

Her critics claim that her choice to become a US citizen, and then revert to her Filipino citizenship, disqualifies her from higher office, based on requirements set in the 1987 Constitution. The Constitution requires that candidates for president or vice president be natural-born citizens, and reside in the Philippines at least 10 years prior to the polls. (READ: Grace Poe and Pandora’s box: Legal issues in her candidacy)

After his speech, Binay repeated his jab at Poe in an interview with reporters. 

“Basta’t talagang, nabasa niyo na ba? Nabasa niyo na ba ‘yung oath of allegiance ng isang naturalized citizen? Nakalagay doon to the point of taking arms,” he said. 

(Did you read the oath? Did you read the oath of allegiance to be a naturalized citizen? It says there, even to the point of taking arms.) 

The following is the naturalization oath of allegiance to the US:   

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

Binay said he was only pointing out that “others” became citizens of another country.

“Kita mo ‘yang si Hermano Pule talagang sa hanggang sa huli kahit na tinadtad ang kaniyang katawan hindi iginive-up ang kaniyang pagka-Pilipino (Look at Hermano Pule, even at his final moments, even when they chopped up his body, he did not give up being a Filipino),” he said. 

During the Spanish colonization, Hermano Pule was executed by firing squad in Tayabas for fighting for religious freedom and independence. Officials then cut up his body after his execution. The province of Quezon commemorates his death anniversary.

Binay’s criticism of Poe comes as his presidential bid continues to be hounded by corruption allegations, and plunder and graft complaints. In contrast, Poe emerges as a viable challenger to Binay’s campaign after President Benigno Aquino III repeatedly met with her to possibly draft her as an administration candidate.  

Just in June, Binay distanced himself from his allies’ questions on Poe’s qualifications. He said that he will not attack the senator as he “loves” Poe’s father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr, known as FPJ. Binay was FPJ’s campaign manager in the 2004 presidential race. 

Binay said last month: “Ayaw ko na hong makisawsaw diyan (Poe’s qualifications) and, unang-una, mahal ko pa rin ho si FPJ.” (I don’t want to meddle with that issue, and first, I still love FPJ.)

‘Patriotism goes beyond oath’

Senator Poe’s office released a statement addressing the criticism. 

Lawyer Nelson Victorino, Poe’s chief of staff, reiterated that Poe “is a Filipino.” 

“As she has repeatedly explained before, she has renounced any foreign citizenship years ago before she entered government service. Now, she is a Filipino public servant who has taken an oath to serve the best interest of the Filipino people and uphold and defend the laws and the Constitution of our country. She is and will abide by her oath (sic),” Victorino said.  

Poe has said that “shortly before” she assumed her post as chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board in October 2010, she renounced her US citizenship. The senator’s stand is that she was previously a dual citizen, and under the Dual Citizenship Act, renouncing her US citizenship reverted her status to a Filipino citizen.  

Some lawyers though, including Binay ally Harry Roque, said that this process does not make Poe a natural-born citizen. They also said that US documents showed that the process was only completed in 2012, making a possible candidacy short of the 10-year residency requirement. 

Yet Poe’s chief of staff said that patriotism goes beyond any oath. 

“Ang tunay na batayan ng pagmamahal at katapatan sa bayan ay ‘di lang pagsumpa kundi pagsunod sa sinumpaang tungkulin sa isip at sa gawa at iyan po ang ginagawa at patuloy na gagawin ni Sen Poe,” Victorino said. 

(The true basis of love and fidelity to country is not just through an oath but carrying out one’s duty in thought and deed, and that has been done, and will continue to be done by Senator Poe.) 

Binay to give ‘true SONA’ 

In his interview, Binay hinted that he will deliver a “true State of the Nation Address (SONA)” after the President’s SONA or annual speech to Congress on Monday, July 27. 

“Ba’t ba naman ‘kontra’? Napaka-negative naman noon. Abangan ninyo, the true state of the nation (Why do you say, ‘counter’? That’s so negative. Just watch out for the true state of the nation),” he said, when asked if he would deliver a kontra-SONA or counter-SONA traditionally delivered by the opposition.

The Vice President said he will attend the SONA even after breaking away from the administration by resigning as a member of the Aquino Cabinet in June. 

He said he does not mind being in the same hall as his critics, who he sued in a P200 million ($4.41 million) damage case. The defendants include Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano, Caloocan City Representative Edgar Erice, and other political rivals.  

“So what? Sabi ko nga, I suppose ako, katulad ng lahat ng mga dadalo e sumasagot as imbitasyon. Sila ay dumalo at makinig sa Pangulo (I suppose everyone who will attend is just responding to the invitation. Just attend, and listen to the President).” – Ayee Macaraig/Rappler.com