BATANGAS, Philippines (UPDATED) – Presidential poll front runner Senator Grace Poe said the Commission on Elections should allow Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to run for president, amid questions about his certificate of candidacy (COC).

Poe made the statement in a news conference in Lipa City on Friday, November 27, when asked about the issue. Duterte, through a representative, filed his COC for president, at the Comelec headquarters in Manila hours earlier.

It remains unclear, however, if he would be allowed to substitute for PDP-Laban partymate Martin Diño. (READ: Did PDP-Laban bet Diño err in filing COC for president?)

For Poe, this should not be an issue. Citing the experience of her father, the late action star Fernando Poe Jr,  in the 2004 presidential elections, Poe said the decision should come from the people.

“Payagan natin [tumakbo]. Puno’t dulo nito, nagsilbi na [siya] sa kanyang probinsya. Merong naniniwala sa kanya. Puno’t dulo nito, naging aral noong tumakbo ang tatay ko noong 2004. Sundin natin ang gusto ng mga kababayan. Sila ang may karapatang magdesisyon,” Poe said.

(Let’s allow him [to run]. The main point is he already served in his province. There are people who believe in him. The main point here is the lessons learned when my father ran in 2004. Let’s follow what the public wants. They have the right to decide.)

In 2004, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Fernando Poe Jr in the disqualification case against him, which was based on the allegation that he is not a natural-born Filipino. Part of the High Court’s ruling stated that the fate of the elder Poe should be left to the voters.

Poe is facing several disqualification cases before the poll body. (READ: With SET decision, Poe camp to seek dismissal of Comelec case)

Duterte had earlier expressed dismay over the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s decision to deny the petition to disqualify Poe from the 2013 polls, which was filed on the premise that she is not a natural-born Filipino. The Davao mayor had said that he was prompted to seek the presidency because of this decision.

Threatened?

A recent privately-commissioned Pulse Asia Research Incorporated survey showed Duterte as the current top choice for Metro Manila voters. Poe came in at second.

Asked if she is threatened by Duterte’s lead in the polls, Poe said she would not take anyone for granted in this battle. After all, she admitted, Duterte’s entry into the race would surely “affect” every other candidate.

“Wala tayo dapat maliitin dito sa pagtakbo nito. (We should not belittle anyone in this race.) We shouldn’t take anybody for granted),” Poe said.

Poe admitted Duterte would further divide the votes for all presidential bets and said she would continue to work hard in her campaign.

“Lahat apektado sa tsansa of winning or losing kasi lahat numbers. ‘Pag may isasama kang iba, mas mahahati. Kaya kailangan magpursigi,” she added. 

(Everyone’s chances of winning or losing are affected because these are all numbers. If you add another candidate, the (votes) would be further divided. That’s why we should work harder.)

Vice President Jejomar Binay welcomed the entry of Duterte into the presidential race, his spokesperson said.

“The people should be afforded more choices in 2016,”  Joey Salgado said in a statement. – Rappler.com