Independent presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe shot back at Vice President Jejomar Binay for belittling the ability of the teachers like her to run for president.
“Did he not realise that he will not reach what he has achieved if not for the teachers,” Poe told the media during her campaign sortie in Pangasinan.
Poe worked for three years as a pre-school teacher while she was in the US.
“If there is somebody who can understand well the situation of our people, it is our teacher who serves as second mothers to our children, they are heroes who do not teach only but serve as watchers of our votes,” Poe said.
In a campaign rally in Cavite last Thursday, Binay said the capabilities of the teachers were good only for the teaching children.
“If we think that they can be trusted to watch our votes but should not run for president, can the keepers of our dear children not run for president. Then that’s the sad opinion from other people,” she added.
Poe, a leading presidential candidate, assured the public that though she is a newcomer in politics, “I was not born yesterday.”
In 2010, Poe was appointed by President Benigno Aquino as chairperson of the Movie & Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) where she instituted reforms in its media ratings system.
In 2013, Poe formally entered politics with a bang as she garnered record 20.3mn votes to top the mid-term senatorial election.
The lady senator did not frustrate her voters as she has managed to author new laws namely, Republic Act 10639 or the Free Mobile Texts During Disasters Act and RA 10640 which streamlines the ‘Three-Witness Rule’ of the Dangerous Drugs Act.
Poe also handled major Senate committees that spearheaded the controversial inquiries particularly on the Mamasapano encounter, MRT glitches, illegal drugs and pork  barrel scam.
“If there is somebody I want to thank for giving me opportunity to serve the government, it should be our president because he appointed me and included me in the (administration) coalition when I ran in 2013,” Poe said.
To prove that she and her running mate Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero will continue the fight against corruption, Poe said they co-authored and sponsored the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill until it was passed on third and final reading last year.
If elected, Poe vowed to give top priority to the enactment into law of the FOI bill that will provide the people the right to check the government transactions involving public funds.
“Corruption remains the big problem in our country,” Poe said.
The lady senator, however, believed that President Aquino has never been tainted with corruption.
She said the best way to fight corruption is for the government leaders, including the president, to set as an example and fast court proceedings in corruption cases.
Accompanied by some of their senatorial candidates, Poe and Escudero visited the University of  Pangasinan and University of Luzon before taking a lunch break and held a press conference at the Star Plaza Hotel in Dagupan City.
In the afternoon, the Poe-Escudero tandem visited also the Virgen Milagrosa University and wrapped their whole day campaign sortie by attending a political rally held at the DepEd Central School in San Carlos City.
Pangasinan is the third province with the highest numbers of voters at 1.7mn.
Last Wednesday, Poe and Escudero wooed the voters of Toledo City in Cebu, the top province with the most numbers of voters at 2.7mn.