The camp of former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada on Thursday echoed the calls for President Gloria Arroyo to resign in the light of her filing her certificate of candidacy for a congressional seat in the Second District of Pampanga. Former President Fidel Ramos earlier called on President Arroyo to resign because, he said, her congressional bid demeans the Office of the President.
During an interview after a visit to Pasay City (Metro Manila) with Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino congressional candidate Connie Dy, Estrada questioned the President’s motives, saying, “She has already served for nine years, what more does she want?”
He said that the Constitution precisely prevents a sitting president from running immediately for office because of the undue advantage the Office of the President presents.
But allies of Mrs. Arroyo in the Senate and the House of Representatives said that Mrs. Arroyo has the right to run for a congressional seat in the May 2010 elections.
Estrada insisted that he was qualified to run in next year’s balloting because he only served for more than two years as president. He was ousted in 2001, when he should have served from 1998 to 2004.
“I don’t have undue advantage if I run,” he said. “I’m not an incumbent president.”
Mayor Jejomar Binay of Makati City, the running mate of Estrada, said that the threat of Mrs. Arroyo becoming prime minister is not just apparent but real.
“With Mrs. Arroyo in the House, any proposal to amend the Constitution will be an attempt to reinstall her in power, thereby subverting once again the will of the people, something which they succeeded in doing in 2004,” Binay warned.
Margaux Salcedo, spokesman of the former president, noted the dangers of a House of Representatives controlled by the President and her allies.
“What is most dangerous is not having President Arroyo in Congress in 2010 alone but having her with her many allies in Congress. If they control Congress, even if an opposition president wins, the possibility of Charter change for a transition to a parliamentary form of government, with GMA [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] as prime minister, approaches reality,” Salcedo said.
The United Opposition (UNO) is not fielding a candidate against Mrs. Arroyo in Pampanga.
“The reality of politics is that anyone who runs against her will lose so it would be futile for any party to field a candidate against her,” said UNO spokesman and former Ambassador and Sen. Ernesto Maceda.
Binay vowed that he will not to allow Mrs. Arroyo to become prime minister or even House Speaker.
“Even if Mrs. Arroyo gets elected in Congress, an Erap-Binay administration will not allow her to become Speaker,” he said.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita on Wednesday said that the amendment of the Constitution remains a priority of Mrs. Arroyo.
Allies rally
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile also on Thursday opposed the call of Ramos for Mrs. Arroyo to resign, and maintained that her running for congressman does not demean the Office of the President.
“President John Quincy Adams of the United States ran for Congress at the end of his term. Why is it that we are ashamed of a similar situation in the Philippines? Is it shameful, demeaning, for one to run if he wants to be of service to the people in your district?” Enrile said.
He added that he believes that the President did not violate the Constitution by formalizing her bid for Congress but said that such move could open a lot of questions that only the Supreme Court could decide.
Sen. Joker Arroyo pooh-poohed claims that the President would become Speaker of the House once she is elected congressman, then move to amend the Constitution to become the prime minister.
“As president, she made many attempts to amend the Constitution and failed. Assuming that she will hold the lesser position of Speaker, she cannot amend it. No way! The Constitution cannot be amended simply because she will run for Congress,” he said.
Sen. Arroyo also doubted whether Mrs. Arroyo could become the Speaker in the next House of Representatives and called for the ending of such speculation.
At the House of Representatives, Rep. Danilo Suarez of Quezon and Rep. Pedro Romualdo of Camiguin also shot back at the resignation call of Ramos.
Suarez, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight, stressed that the President’s decision to run for a lower position is an act of humility since she wants to continue serving the people.
“It will not degrade the stature of the presidency because of her well-meaning intention to serve further the people,” he said.
Romualdo, the chairman of the House Committee on Good Government, said that Mrs. Arroyo need not resign while pursuing her bid for congress. “There is no law requiring her to do so.”
FRANCIS EARL A. CUETO, JAMES KONSTANTIN GALVEZ, CRIS G. ODRONIA, EFREN L. DANAO AND JOMAR CANLAS
The Manila Times
Friday, 04 December 2009 00:00
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