By: Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News
A political science professor of the De La Salle University has filed the third case against Senator Grace Poe here at the Commission on Elections since the senator filed her certificate of candidacy for president last week.
Professor Antonio Contreras filed a Petition to Deny Due Course or Cancel the COC of Senator Poe before the Comelec's Clerk of the Commission Tuesday using her residency as grounds.
Contreras believes that the senator is two months and 9 days short of the 10 years minimum residency requirement to run for president.
Compared to the earlier petitioners, Contreras in his petition did not use Poe's citizenship status against her as there is no clear jurisprudence yet on foundlings.
He also did not choose to file a disqualification case against Poe because he believes that she has not committed any election violations when she filed her COC.
He added that his decision to file the petition was to prove that someone without any political backing or dubious motivations could question the qualifications of any candidate, even one who is leading in the surveys like Senator Poe.
Contreras told reporters that he is acting on his own, and that he is using his own money to finance the case, even going against his own mother who he said will vote for Grace Poe.
The Poe camp said the different petitions against the senator are meant to condition the minds of the voters that she will be disqualified.
"In their quest to achieve that malicious objective, the barrage of petitions being filed is already turning the electoral process into a circus. To reiterate, Sen. Poe is ready to answer all these unfounded petitions in the proper forum point per point," the Poe camp said.
The DLSU professor is the third person to file a petition against Poe before the Comelec since last week.
Last Friday, Atty. Estrella Elamparo filed a petition to deny due course or cancel Poe's COC for alleged "material misrepresentation in stating that she is a natural-born Filipino."
Elamparo argued that Poe is not a natural-born Filipino citizen because she is a foundling, and that her adoption did not have the effect of transmitting or conferring upon her the status of a natural-born Filipino.
READ: A foundling named Grace
She also argued that international conventions and treaties on stateless persons are not sufficient to grant Poe the status of a natural-born citizen, and any presumption that the senator is a natural-born Filipino is not sufficient for the residency requirement under the Constitution.
On Monday, former senator Francisco "Kit" Tatad also filed a disqualification case against Poe, saying Poe cannot run for president next year because she is not a natural born Filipino and because she failed to meet the residency requirement for candidates.
Professor Antonio Contreras filed a Petition to Deny Due Course or Cancel the COC of Senator Poe before the Comelec's Clerk of the Commission Tuesday using her residency as grounds.
Contreras believes that the senator is two months and 9 days short of the 10 years minimum residency requirement to run for president.
Compared to the earlier petitioners, Contreras in his petition did not use Poe's citizenship status against her as there is no clear jurisprudence yet on foundlings.
He also did not choose to file a disqualification case against Poe because he believes that she has not committed any election violations when she filed her COC.
He added that his decision to file the petition was to prove that someone without any political backing or dubious motivations could question the qualifications of any candidate, even one who is leading in the surveys like Senator Poe.
Contreras told reporters that he is acting on his own, and that he is using his own money to finance the case, even going against his own mother who he said will vote for Grace Poe.
The Poe camp said the different petitions against the senator are meant to condition the minds of the voters that she will be disqualified.
"In their quest to achieve that malicious objective, the barrage of petitions being filed is already turning the electoral process into a circus. To reiterate, Sen. Poe is ready to answer all these unfounded petitions in the proper forum point per point," the Poe camp said.
The DLSU professor is the third person to file a petition against Poe before the Comelec since last week.
Last Friday, Atty. Estrella Elamparo filed a petition to deny due course or cancel Poe's COC for alleged "material misrepresentation in stating that she is a natural-born Filipino."
Elamparo argued that Poe is not a natural-born Filipino citizen because she is a foundling, and that her adoption did not have the effect of transmitting or conferring upon her the status of a natural-born Filipino.
READ: A foundling named Grace
She also argued that international conventions and treaties on stateless persons are not sufficient to grant Poe the status of a natural-born citizen, and any presumption that the senator is a natural-born Filipino is not sufficient for the residency requirement under the Constitution.
On Monday, former senator Francisco "Kit" Tatad also filed a disqualification case against Poe, saying Poe cannot run for president next year because she is not a natural born Filipino and because she failed to meet the residency requirement for candidates.
