Poe to critics questioning her citizenship: I am Filipino


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Didn’t some people do the same thing to her dad. Fernando Poe Jr., when he ran for office?

“Responding to critics who have recently implied that she is not a natural-born Filipino citizen, Senator Grace Poe clarified on Monday, May 18, that she is most definitely Pinoy,” reports Ernie Reyes on InterAksyon.com.

Prior to attending the Senate session, Poe spoke with some reporters. She told them, “Ako ay isang (I am a) natural-born citizen. I would not think of accepting a government position if I was not qualified and not a citizen.”

The report noted: “Poe acknowledged that she used to hold dual citizenship status — in the US and Philippines — but stressed that she had renounced her US citizenship when she was appointed chairman of the Movie and Television Review Classification Board (MTRCB) in 2010.”

Moreover, Poe explained that she “has documents to prove that she had never lost her citizenship and merely reverted to her single-citizenship status when she renounced her US citizenship.”

“The documents are clear. This is not a concealed thing. You can scrutinize these at the proper institution or agency. I would not have run for senator if I possessed dual citizenship, (nor would I have) even served with the MTRCB,” she said.

The senator then went on to cite Section 3 of the Dual Citizens Act (RA 9225), which says that “any provision of the law to the contrary notwithstanding, natural-born citizenship by reason of their naturalization as citizens of a foreign country are hereby deemed to have re-acquired Philippine citizenship upon taking the following oath of allegiance to the Republic.”

“Under the law authored by Senator Franklin Drilon and other colleagues, you can revert to your original citizenship after renouncing the dual citizenship status,” Poe pointed out.

Photo: News clip



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