Q&A: PH Presidential frontrunner Grace Poe on EDCA and her Citizenship

Political columnist Mortz C. Ortigoza asked this afternoon Philippine presidential front runner  and  Senator Mary Grace Poe on whether she will vote for a military treaty’s Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the United States in case the Supreme Court strikes it out as unconstitutional since it fails to have the Senate’s concurrence. Ortigoza inquired too Poe if her re-acquisition of her Philippine Citizenship through Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003  (Republic Act 9225) is the all encompassing act that shroud her being a natural citizenship and makes her qualified to run as presidential candidate of the Philippines as required by the Constitution. Excerpts:

Interviewer Ortigoza poses with Senator Grace Poe in one of the latter
visits at San Carlos City, the city, of her late father actor Fernando
Poe, Jr.

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA (MCO): Sa Resolution po ng Senado karamihan gusto nila ang Senado ratify the EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement).

GRACE POE (GP): (Pause)

MCO: Iyong executive military agreement between the United States and the Philippine Government sa Resolution ni Senator (Merriam) Santiago that there could be no EDCA without the concurrence of the Senate.

GP: Opo

MCO: Maam, anytime from now ang Supreme Court kasi magde-decision sa Constitutionality ng EDCA.

GP: Opo

MCO: In case i-sustain ng Supreme Court ang petition (by Harry Roque, Former Senators Rene Saguisag and Wigberto Tanada, et al) na unconstitutional the EDCA, pag nilagay sa Senado, are you in favour for EDCA (as we face the incessant Chinese incursion in our territories)?

GP: Para sa amin po kasi kailangan ang Senado na magkaroon ng pagkakataon na i-review ito. Kasama po ito sa trabaho ng Senado - responsibilidad. Ngayon, at ang Senado  rin ang magde-determine kung kailangan talaga ito. O bago itong kasundu-an o ito ba ang karagdagan lang sa dati.

Sa tanung  ninyo, importante na magkaroon ng mga maitutulong sa ating siguridad. Pero kailangan natin rebyuhin iyong proposal bago magbigay ng commitment dito. Kaya nga hinihingi natin iyong sa Senado.

MCO: Former U.E Dean Amado Valdez discussed about three talking points about your citizenship in 2006, 2010, and 2011 when he filed recently at the Comelec for your disqualification in the presidential race.