RIYADH, 12 July 2005 — A group that spearheaded the campaign for a Philippine overseas absentee voting law has urged Filipinos abroad to join the growing “Arroyo Resign” movement and help cleanse the government in Manila of cheats and crooks.
In its new website, the group called eLagda invited Filipinos who believe in good government to add their voices in calling for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in view of her refusal to step down despite her admission that she had intervened when the votes in last year’s elections were being counted.
“eLagda, together with other sectors who are committed to stand for what is right, has launched a new website — www.gmaRESIGNnow.com — to serve as the voice of the moral majority of the Filipino people,” eLagda founder Enteng Romano announced in e-mails circulating among Filipinos around the globe.
Romano initiated the “ERAP Resign Movement” in 2001 when Estrada was impeached in Congress on charges of receiving payoffs from illegal gambling activities. Arroyo, then the vice president, was installed as president when Estrada was forced to step down as military and police leaders withdrew their support for him and joined what has become known as the EDSA 2 “people power revolution.”
“We ask GMA (Arroyo’s initials) to resign now and let the constitutional process of succession take effect. I invite you to be part of the moral majority in this effort,” said Romano.
Saudi Arabia-based Ronnie Abeto, another “eMandirigma” (eWarrior), said the campaign’s main point is to advocate good governance, transparency and accountability.
Abeto said the campaign is for everyone, not just for those who have access to the Internet. He said those who do not have Internet access can signify their interest by sending him an e-mail and he will post it in the website.
Abeto’s e-mail address is [email protected].
He asked other community leaders in the Kingdom “to get our acts together once more for a noble cause” and start disseminating the information to other Filipinos.
More Than a ‘Lapse of Judgment’
Romano said it is time to tell Arroyo that what she did during the election was more than “a lapse of judgment” as she had called it when she apologized two weeks ago.
Arroyo was caught on tape repeatedly calling Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano while the May 10, 2004, votes were being counted. In the tapes wiretapped by military agents, Arroyo could be heard or read asking Garcillano’s assurance that she would lead by over a million votes over her strongest rival, opposition candidate Fernando Poe Jr.
After failing in her attempt to cover up the wiretapped conversations, Arroyo admitted that the voice was hers and that she committed a “lapse in judgment.” She said she only wanted to make sure that her lead in the election would be protected and that she did not cheat.
Various groups campaigning for good governance, including the Kilosbayan of former Senate President Jovito Salonga, said Arroyo’s calling the election commissioner 15 times was more than a “lapse in judgment.”
Former President Corazon Aquino, who initially, backed Arroyo had also called for her resignation, warning that her continued stay in power was dividing the nation.
At least 10 of her hard-working officials, including the secretaries of education, finance and trade, have resigned, saying Arroyo can no longer govern effectively.
On Sunday, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), while not calling directly on Arroyo to resign, recommended her impeachment.
No More Strong Republic
ELagda’s campaign is premised on the same belief that since Arroyo has lost her moral ascendancy and capacity to govern, she could not possibly succeed in turning the Philippines into a strong republic.
“It is time to act now! Up till now, GMA believes that all these noise and protests are coming from her political opponents bent on destabilizing her government,” Romano said
“It is time to show her that there are many of us who will not stand for wrongdoing of such a scale as electoral cheating, even if the alternative is worse than the status quo,” Romano said. “If we do nothing, the political situation will continue to be volatile and it may lead to other scenarios far worse than having Noli (de Castro) as president — “a prospect that’s scary, at best, and repugnant to many.”
Vice President De Castro stands to succeed Arroyo if she steps down. Although he is considered a political novice who has no experience in governance, De Castro as a broadcaster is being touted as one who knows how to listen to good advice.