Fernando Poe Jr.

The Elections Commission said a petition by lawyer Victorino Fornier failed to prove its claims that Poe's father was Spanish rather than Filipino, or that his marriage to Poe's American mother was illegitimate, and ruled that Poe is a Filipino and therefore allowed to run in the May 10 poll.

Arroyo's camp Jan. 24 said it had no hand in the failed bid to have Poe disqualified and welcomed the ruling.

"The electorate is entitled to more choices and this is good for our democratic system," said Arroyo spokesman Ignacio Bunye.

The Japan Times Weekly: Jan. 31, 2004
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