Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio engaged in a heated debate over the citizenship status of Senator Grace Poe. The Supreme Court (SC) recently cleared Poe to run for president, but Carpio dissented, arguing that there was no clear majority supporting her eligibility.
Sereno countered by applying the Internal Rules of the SC, which states that decisions must be made with a majority vote from participating justices. She concluded that seven out of 12 justices supported Poe’s citizenship and residency qualifications.
Carpio’s dissenting opinion sparked controversy, with Sereno accusing him of trying to cast uncertainty over Poe’s eligibility. The chief justice warned that deeming foundlings as stateless would be a degradation of their rights.
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