On March 12, 2016, a heated debate erupted among Supreme Court justices over the citizenship status of Senator Grace Poe, who had recently been cleared by the high tribunal to run for president in the May elections. Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio were at odds over whether a majority of the court viewed Poe as a natural-born Filipino.
The court’s decision was based on the votes of 12 justices, with seven voting in favor of Poe’s citizenship and five against. According to Sereno, this constituted a clear majority, making Poe eligible to run for president. Carpio, however, disagreed, stating that there was no majority opinion on the matter.
The dispute highlights the complexities of the Supreme Court’s decision-making process and the challenges faced by justices in interpreting the Constitution.
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