Ahead of big rally, calls for Prez, VP to resign justified as ‘legitimate’
Calls for the resignation of President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte amid the unraveling corruption issues in the budget process and infrastructure projects would be the most legitimate remedy if the country’s two highest officials have lost the public’s trust, a lawmaker and a leader of a political alliance said on Tuesday.
Kabataan Rep. Renee Co said the 1987 Constitution outlines clear steps that the people could take should the country’s top officials resign.
“The Constitution is prepared for exactly these kinds of circumstances. [The framers] have contemplated the possibility of resignations, and they have provided minimum steps that must be achieved,” said Co, a lawyer.
She cited Article VII, Section 10 of the Constitution, which states that an acting president—possibly the Senate President or Speaker—assumes office if the Offices of the President and of the Vice President are vacated.
After this, Congress must then convene at 10 a.m. of the third day of the vacancies and, within seven days, enact a law calling for a special election to be held not earlier than 45 days or not later than 60 days.
Raymond Palatino, secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said calls for resignation would be a “perfectly legitimate, democratic and constitutionally contemplated remedy” if the highest officials lose moral authority and public trust “required to govern.”
Palatino, a former representative of Kabataan party list, cited Article VII, Section 8 of the Charter, which states that the resignation of both the President and the Vice President is a “recognized mode of vacancy,” which would trigger the constitutional line of succession.
“The framers of the Constitution explicitly anticipated situations where a sitting president and vice president may no longer effectively lead the country,” Palatino said in a statement. “They provided a peaceful, orderly mechanism for this eventuality.”
‘Inciting to sedition’
Last week, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said it would investigate remarks at a Nov. 16 protest rally by the United People’s Initiative (UPI) calling for the ouster of Mr. Marcos.
Several speakers at the UPI rally held at the People Power Monument called on the President to resign or for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to withdraw support from their Commander in Chief.
Another rally in Manila led by supporters of the Duterte family also called for the resignation of Mr. Marcos, whose constitutional successor is Vice President Duterte.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier said statements aired at the UPI rally were “close to inciting to sedition’’ and should be investigated.
The Quezon City Police District also said it would look into the statements made at the UPI rally.
The Makabayan bloc at the House as well as other civil society groups are setting nationwide rallies—dubbed “Baha sa Luneta 2.0”—for Nov. 30 at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila to again call for transparency and accountability in the ongoing corruption scandal.
This will coincide with another big rally organized by the Trillion Peso March Movement at the People Power Monument on Edsa.
Co clarified that the rallies’ foremost call would be for a thorough investigation into the allegations of corruption implicating President Marcos and his closest allies.
She acknowledged, however, that there were organizations that would press the President’s resignation.
