Tag Archives: Grace Poe

Diversity, Politics

How Year Of The Monkey Can Make Senator Grace Poe The Next President Of The Philippines

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imageMANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – February 8 marks the Chinese New Year in the Philippines, where it is a national holiday.  It ushers in the Year of the Monkey.

Of the five major Philippine presidential candidates, one — Senator Grace Poe — was born in the Year of the Monkey (1968). Specifically, Poe is an Earth monkey whose qualities include being frank, optimistic and fearless — all great qualities for a Filipino head of state.

But alas, the year 2016 — the year of the presidential elections — is believed by many to be an unlucky year for people born in a Monkey year like Poe.

But there are things that Poe and her campaign can do to turn the year from unlucky to lucky, according to Chinese zodiac experts:

1. Poe must always wear red.  Luckily for her, she is not running under the banner of the Yellow Party.  She may have already aborted a misfortune by declining President Aquino’s Liberal Party’s invitation for her to be the vice presidential running mate of former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.  Red is one of the lucky colors for people born in a Monkey year.

2. Poe must always wear jade. We have seen her wear pearl jewelry and accessories on many occasions.  She must now set aside all her pearl and other jewelry in favor of jade pendants, earrings, rings and bracelets. Jade is known to ward off bad luck.

3. Poe must constantly face in the opposite direction that is dictated by Tai Sui. Tai Sui (Chinese: 太歲; pinyin: Tàisuì) refers to stars directly opposite to Jupiter. They influence the Chinese zodiac, and are involved in religious Taoism and Feng Shui. For those born in Monkey years, facing Southwest can bring them bad luck.  So Poe must face in the Northeast direction which happens to be close to where Malacañang Palace is.

So there you go, Madam Senator:  three simple rules to follow that could lead you on the path to Malacañang.

Already, Poe has regained the top spot among presidential contenders, based on the results of the latest survey conducted by Pulse Asia Research, Incorporated released on Saturday, February 6. A good omen?

To all our readers, Gung Hay Fat Choy!  Happy New Year!

 

Government, Law Enforcement, Politics

The Curious Case Of Two ‘Natural-born Citizens’ Running For President: Grace Poe And Ted Cruz

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Criuz, left, and Poe
Cruz, left, and Poe

WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles) – So, who is considered a natural-born citizen?  Well, it  all depends on the country and the legal interpretation by constitutionalists.

The  Philippines and the United States have candidates running for president in their respective 2016 presidential elections.  Both countries require presidential candidates to be “natural-born” citizens.

The Philippines’ Senator Grace Poe faces legal qualification challenges by virtue of her being a foundling. The Philippine nationality law is based upon the principle of jus sanguinis (Latin: right of blood) and therefore descent from a parent who is a citizen or national of the Republic of the Philippines is the primary method of acquiring Philippine citizenship. Poe’s parents, and their citizenship, have not been ascertained to this moment.

Ted Cruz, on the other hand, while having an American mother, was born of a Cuban father — in Canada. The constitutional text provides that a U.S. president, unlike other elected officials, must be a “natural born citizen.”  Some say this language could not mean anyone born a citizen or else the text would have simply stated “born citizen.”  The word “natural” is a limiting qualifier that indicates only some persons who are born citizens qualify.  Moreover, when the Constitution was enacted, the word “natural” meant something not created by statute, as with natural rights or natural law, which instead were part of the common law.

Both scenarios are curious cases that may or may not be resolved in this election year.

So what happens  if either Poe or Cruz is elected president remains the million dollar (and , in the case of the Philippines, peso) question.

Our recommendation? Just vote your conscience. Just don’t ask Donald Trump.

 

 

International, Politics

Birther Issue: Donald Trump Goes After Ted Cruz And The Philippines’ Grace Poe

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Top left, clockwise: Cruz, Poe, Trump, Obama

NEW YORK, New York (The Adobo Chronicles) – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is undeniably a birther: he has continuously questioned Barack Obama’s citizenship, claiming the president was born in Kenya and should not have been qualified to run for U.S. president.

Fast forward to 2016.

Trump is running against Senator Ted Cruz who appears to be the greatest threat to the billionaire’s quest for the presidency.  Cruz was born in Canada to a Cuban-born father and American mother.  That, according to Trump, does not make the senator a ‘natural-born citizen’ which is a primary qualification to become president of the United States.

Trump has also turned his attention to the Philippines which is holding its own presidential elections in May this year.  One of the leading candidates is Senator Grace Poe who faces questions about her being a ‘natural-born citizen’ on the grounds that she is a foundling , adopted by film actors Fernando Poe, Jr. and Susan Roces, and whose biological parents remain unknown to this day.

Asked by The Adobo Chronicles why it matters to him who gets elected Philippine president, Trump said, “If I become U.S. president, I  cannot be dealing with a foreign leader who is not legitimate.”

He added: “Grace Poe is either a natural-born citizen or is not. And if the answer is no, then as U.S. president, I do not have any business recognizing her as a fellow head of state.”

Do we see a budding alliance between Ted Cruz and Grace Poe?