The Tale of Graciano

Graciano grew up in a small village.  His parents though were rich so he didn’t have to struggle, work hard or even cheat or steal for whatever he desired while growing up.  He was educated in a respectable university in the big city; and later moved to the metropolis for greener pastures.  He landed a good job, married a city girl and had children.  The big city became Graciano's home.  From time to time, though, he visited his ageing parents with his wife and young city-grown kids.  Later on however, his wife and children no longer joined him in his provincial sorties except on a few important occasions and only for very short duration.  Graciano's wife and children never got to love the homey, simple and slow moving life in the barrio where their father grew up

During those times that he was away, Graciano’s old village went through a number of hard times and trials.  It was ravaged by storms, floods, drought and pestilence.  It was rocked by terrorism, banditry and lawlessness.  As a good Christian, he sent material aid to the villagers whenever calamity struck.  He had plenty of material things to share with others.  After all he and his family was spared from those hardships.  They were lucky to have lived elsewhere and never experienced all these trepidation. 

One day, there came a new village chief who was a friend of his family who offered him an important job in the community.  Graciano was already contented in his new home in the city but the temptation of assuming an important role and be amongst the “principalia” of his former village proved very difficult to resist. The grass now appears greener for him this time at the other side of the fence.  The pay was better than what he gets in his city job, the work was not so demanding and his position was more prestigious.  Yet, it would mean less time for his family who wouldn’t want to join him.  His wife wouldn’t give up her job and his children are still in school.   Upon the prodding of his parents and old friends, Graciano accepted it, albeit, reluctantly. 

Time came when the village chief had to retire.  Graciano wanted to become the next chief.  He remembered that it was his father’s dream that a member of their family would someday be the leader of their community.  By now, Graciano is near enough for its realization and the opportunity is at hand.  Graciano' wife and young children strongly objected to this new twist in their family life.  So he had to promise them that he would only serve for six years and would return home to the city after that.  After all, his intent was only for the purpose of fulfilling his father’s dream.

Graciano is a fictitious character who may be likened to one of our presidential contenders who left our country and renounced Filipino citizenship for greener pastures.  A former American citizen with an American husband and American children (that were raised and breed in an American environment), Grace Poe wants to become the next President of the Philippines.  Her would-be opponents question her qualifications.  Among others they say that she lacks experience in governance; that she did not pass the minimum residency requirement; and that she is not a natural born citizen of the Philippines.

I would not attempt to discuss the issue of Grace Poe’s lack of experience.  It is suffice to point out that once upon a time there was a housewife who became the first woman President of our country despite her almost nil experience in governance.  Whether Cory Aquino performed well as President is up for the Filipino people to judge; and whether Grace Poe could do better than her is subject for speculation. 

I would not also venture an opinion of Poe’s lack of the mandatory residency requirement as this can be easily ascertained through documentary evidences.  I would rather concentrate on the citizenship issue.

During one of her sorties to the Bicol Region, Grace Poe in one of her speeches said that the citizenship issue against her was very similar to that of the late Secretary Jessie Robredo.  She thought that by comparing herself with the well-loved former mayor of Naga City, she could win the votes of the Bicolanos.  However, that unstudied statement instead backfired on her.  Representative Leni  Robredo, the widow of the late Secretary, contradicted her statement.  Leni said that they were entirely different because her husband unlike Poe never abandoned nor renounced his Filipino citizenship. 

The discussions on the citizenship issue against Poe were centered on her being a foundling, a contentious one since there is no provision in the present constitution on that matter.  What is clear is that one of the requirements for President (also for Vice President, Senators and Representatives, etc.) is that he/she must be a natural born citizen.  Section 2, Article IV of the Cory Constitution defines a natural born citizen as follows: “Natural born citizens are those who are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippine citizenship.”  Renouncing Filipino citizenship was a legal act and reacquiring it was another legal act.  By constitutional definition, therefore, Grace Poe is now a naturalized Filipino citizen even if it can be argued that despite her being a foundling she was a natural born Filipino citizen from the beginning. 

Let us assume that despite this constitutional barrier, Grace Poe will still be allowed to run and is eventually elected as President.  So, then we will have our third Lady President who is relatively have a little experience than the first and presumably more honest than the second.  We will also have an American First Gentleman and an American First Family for the first time.  Wouldn’t that be great?

After her six year term, would Grace Poe remain in the Philippines and “help” our country some more or would she go home to the Land of Promise where her family is comfortably settled?  Or would she do a Fujimori, a former president of Peru who committed some crimes there and in order to avoid prosecution ran to Japan where he was also a citizen?