Senator Grace Poe Wins Round One: 5-4 to Dump Disqualification Case

                 Senator Nancy Binay, voted to disqualify Poe

                 Senator Grace Poe  Senator Nancy Binay

Grace wins round one: SET votes 5-4 to dump disqualification case

IN A CLOSE 5-4 decision, the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) has voted to junk the disqualification case filed against independent presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe.

Senator Tito Sotto

Tweets coming from GMA-7 reporter Joseph Morong cited SET member Senator Tito Sotto in saying that the petition against Poe, whose status as a natural-born Filipino citizen was challenged, has been denied.

Voting in favor of survey frontrunner Poe were fellow senators Sotto, Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Loren Legarda and Bam Aquino.

The remaining SET member from the Senate, Nancy Binay, voted to disqualify Poe. Also voting for the latter’s disqualification were Justices Antonio Carpio, Arturo Brion and Teresita Castro.

Senator Binay is the daughter of opposition leader Vice President

Jejomar Binay, who will also vie for the Palace seat in 2016.

Senator Bam Aquino

The SET voting took place via executive session at the Manila Polo Club and was thus closed to media.

Meanwhile, Politiko sources said that Poe was “all smiles and very happy” as she emerged from her van to attend an event at Perpetual Help in Laguna.

The 47-year-old lady lawmaker, a foundling, was earlier reported to be very nervous ahead of the SET ruling. (Samantha A. Giron)

http://politics.com.ph/set-junks-dq-case-vs-poe/