Beyond winning the May elections, Senator Grace Poe and her vice presidential running mate Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on Sunday they would like to see a fair, democratic and credible electoral process.
Thus, the frontrunning duo formed a powerhouse legal team comprising 2,000 volunteer lawyers from all over the country.
“Whether it is us or others, it is important that the public accept and believe the results of the elections,” said Escudero as he rallied hundreds of legal volunteers and professionals who gathered for the first national convention of the Grace Poe and Chiz Legal Team Philippines at the clubhouse of the Nationalist People’s Coalition in New Manila, Quezon City. Escudero thanked the volunteers who joined the GPC Legal Team for their commitment to protect the integrity of the election and ensure that the votes for the Poe-Escudero tandem are counted on election day.
“We are now going to the second and last phase of this election campaign and you would hold the biggest part,” Escudero said as he expressed hope such “battalion of lawyers” will continue to be with them until the day of the election as they fight against all forms of electoral fraud and efforts to disenfranchise voters.
The GPC Legal Team Philippines includes lead convenors namely lawyers George Erwin Garcia, Jorge V. Sarmiento, and Roberto Rafael V. Lucila.
Former executive secretary and now Pangasinan Gov. Oscar M. Orbos, who serves as Overall Campaign Adviser to Team Grace and Chiz, formally welcomed the GPC Legal Team along with Deputy House Speaker and Nationalist People’s Coalition president Giorgidi Aggabao.
Orbos urged the GPC Legal Team to perform well in protecting the votes of presidential frontrunner Grace Poe and No. 1 VP bet Senator Chiz Escudero since this is the next important step to ensure the tandem’s landslide victory toward charting a new destiny for the Philippines.
“At no point in our nation’s history that we are writing a new narrative for our country led by Senators Grace and Chiz, two young leaders who will lead us to the great change with fresh ideas, new solutions to old problems as well as new energy, vigor and dedication to meet the challenges of the millenial times,” Orbos said.
“The formation of the GPC Legal Team is a strong statement and commitment to defend the people’s sovereignty as the Supreme Court win of Grace is firstly a great win of the people,” he added.
Orbos also lauded Poe’s legal team led by lead counsel George Erwin Garcia and the Poblador Law Office for adeptly and successfully defending her before the Supreme Court leading to a 9-6 decision that all but cleared all legal hurdles to her presidential bid.
For his part, lawyer Jorge Sarmiento said the formation of the GPC Legal Team Philippines comes at a most propitious time following the SC decision and the bandwagon trail for leading frontrunners Grace and Chiz.
“To ensure the Grace Chiz tandem’s victory on May 9, we need to protect their votes and this underscores the important role of vigilant, well-informed and knowledgeable GPC lawyers to ensure the tandem’s voter security and victory from municipal to provincial canvassing levels,” added Sarmiento, former Pagcor president who is now actively campaigning for Team Grace and Chiz.
He reminded the GPC lawyers not to forget and repeat the sad experience of Grace Poe’s late father, Fernando Poe Jr. , who like Grace won the Supreme Court case and was perceived to have won the 2004 elections but eventually lost in the Comelec count and congressional canvass.
“Let’s all ensure our candidates’ victory and that we shall all come forward to adopt Grace Poe like our own daughter to protect her votes and Chiz and send the duo to Malacanang,” said Sarmiento.
Former Deputy Executive Secretary Bobby Lucila described the GPC Legal Team as “the biggest law firm in the Philippines that has no conflicting interests among its clients but whose bottomline agenda is to protect and ensure the victory of the dynamic duo, Grace and Chiz, in the May 2016 national elections.”
He disclosed that the national convenors of the GPC Legal Team will do regional and provincial trainings and seminars for further voter security education among lawyers and other professional volunteers.
Several resource speakers and lecturers led by lawyer George Garcia as well as representatives from Comelec and election watchdog CENPEG took part in the GPC Legal Team Philippines national conference.