MANILA, 24 October 2005 — A charm offensive by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appears to have momentarily silenced her critics in Congress but pressure from other sides continued to mount.
A group led by some of Arroyo’s resigned Cabinet members yesterday urged Vice President Noli de Castro to take the reins of power and head an advisory council as “transition president” until 2007 when a special election would be held.
The multi-sectoral Black and White Movement (BWM) said they were giving de Castro until Nov. 30 to withdraw support from Arroyo and accept the proposal to takeover the government as her constitutional successor.
If he agrees, a “welcome prayer rally” awaits him on Nov. 30, said BWM convenor Vicente “Enteng” Romano III. “Our message to him would be, Game ka na ba, Kabayan?” he said.
But if de Castro declined, he would be junked as the group said it would support the succession of Senate President Franklin Drilon as “acting president” and who shall call for a special election within 60 days as provided in the constitution.
A senior Roman Catholic bishop yesterday also advised the beleaguered leader to heed a proposal to cut short her term and finally yield her post by 2007.
Bishop Teodoro Bacani said it was unfortunate that Arroyo was experiencing a “hardness of heart” even as the public was getting more and more restive.
Bacani said a declaration by Arroyo step down by 2007 would once and for all calm the public and allow her to govern more effectively in less than two years than if she insists on completing her term until 2010.
“What will happen is that even if she survives (the crisis), she will just drag us,” he said in an interview at the church-run Radio Veritas. “We really can’t move forward in a satisfactory way and the president knows that this is the situation.”
Bickerings
In Malacañang Palace, Arroyo’s spokesman lashed out at her critics for continuing to attack her despite calls for reconciliation.
Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye lamented that while Arroyo has focused on improving the country’s economy, her detractors have not helped in the efforts.
“It is regrettable that critics of President Arroyo have failed to heed the call of religious leaders and the people for an end to political bickerings,” he said.
“We shall not be drawn into counter-productive exchanges, rather we will maintain our focus on our people’s welfare and advancement,” he added.
Arroyo, a 58-year-old US-trained economist, has been facing persistent calls for her resignation or ouster due to allegations she cheated in the May 2004 presidential elections.
The crisis erupted in June when the opposition released audio recordings of illegally wiretapped conversations allegedly between Arroyo and an election official about rigging the vote.
While Arroyo survived an impeachment bid in September, the attacks against her government and calls for her resignation or ouster have not subsided.
She has faced almost daily street protests, which recently turned violent after she ordered a crackdown on rallies held without permits.
On the weekend, former President Corazon Aquino said she regrets supporting Arroyo during the mass uprising that ousted her predecessor Joseph Estrada in January 2001.
“I plead guilty to the fact that I thought GMA (Arroyo’s initials) would be a better alternative to Estrada,” she told a forum to discuss possible alternatives to Arroyo.
Arroyo’s elder sister, Cielo Salgado, also told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that she believes the president should resign to avoid bloodshed. “If she has to go to save her life, her family and the people, I would rather that she do that than cause deaths,” Salgado said, amid increasingly violent protests calling for Arroyo to step down.
Despite the continuing political crisis, Bunye said the Arroyo government was focused on resolving more pressing concerns of the country. “Our economic takeoff is well within reach and the bullish outlook accorded to us by various financial institutions back up our upbeat economic indicators,” he said. “We have planted the seeds of our economic future,” he added. “We should not let the opportunity slip by because of intense political bickering and partisanship.” (With input from Inquirer News Service & DPA)
