Grace Poe to Duterte: Thanks for caring for foundlings but finish your term | News Update

Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte not to cut short his term even if changes to the 1987 Constitution are realized.

Duterte had said he would like Poe, whom he defeated in last year's presidential race, to be the country's chief executive, but only if the constitution would be amended to allow foundlings like her to run for the position.

"Alam mo 'yung ating Pangulo, unang-una, ako'y nagpapasalamat sa tiwala ng ating Pangulo. Malaking bagay iyan, personally at politically, at salamat sa pagpapahalaga sa mga foundlings, pero ang ating Pangulo ang pinili ng ating mga kababayan at dapat tapusin niya ang kanyang termino. Nandito kami para suportahan siya sa kanyang mga layunin na makakabuti para sa ating mga kababayan," she told reporters.

Poe also said her status as a foundling was not enough justification to propose changes to the constitution, adding the Supreme Court (SC) had already ruled that foundlings are natural-born Filipinos, which sealed her eligibility to run for president in the May 2016 election.

The senator said the process of constitutional change cannot be rushed.

"Kung kailangan talaga nating magkaroon ng charter change, sabi ko nga hindi padalos-dalos, at siguro pagkatapos na ng kanyang termino. Kahit sino pa man, mabait man o matino, hindi siguro masusupersede 'yung karapatan ng bawat isa na piliin kung sino ang dapat mamuno sa kanila," Poe said.

Duterte proposed on Tuesday that Congress draft a new charter aimed at stopping corruption. He said the present constitution allowed corruption to thrive.

Reacting to this statement, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said Duterte "can come up with his own proposed new Constitution."

"The Executive branch can come up with a proposed new Constitution, that is why ang suggestion ko nga yung kanyang Con-Com [constitutional commission], 'yung 25-member Con-Com, sana ibuo na niya, so that meron siyang katulong sa pag-aral but siguro itong past few months, meron din siguro siyang informal study group na gumawa," Pimentel said.

"If he is ready, ilabas na niya yung kanyang draft kasi ang party namin, PDP-Laban, we have a draft but gusto ko pa rin ayusin pa. It really takes time, but let’s say si Presidente has a better draft, welcome na ilabas niya para mapag-aralan na," he added.

Source: NB,GMA News