Originally Posted by
LytSlpr
Glo won뭪 quit, sacks Cabinet.
MANILA -President Arroyo last ight rejected calls from various sectors for her to resign, but instead asked her entire Cabinet to quit to give her a free hand in implementing reforms.
In an address broadcast nationwide, she announced a three-fold strategy to institute 밼undamental changes?that include working with Congress to change the form of government and reaching out to her political opponents and civil society.
밒 will not resign my office,?Arroyo said, 10 days after she apologized to the nation for improperly calling an election official during the May 2004 presidential poll. Her conversations were wiretapped.
밒 am asking my entire Cabinet to tender their resignations in order to give the executive a free hand to reorganize itself,?Arroyo said.
[b]밫his is neither political ploy nor a gimmick. I believe that this process will quickly lay the foundation for deep reforms in our society,?/b] she said.
Resolution
However, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said in a TV interview that some Cabinet members have already signified that they wanted to resign, even before the President made the speech.
House Minority Leader Francisco Escudero also said Arroyo뭩 announcement was a preemptive move.
The President said she was supposed to outline the approaches to solve the nation뭩 problems during her State of the Nation Address on July 25, but she is bringing this up early because 뱓he country is hungry for a resolution.?
In an earlier speech during an awards ceremony for exemplary women and members of the police force, the President also said she remains in charge, despite her administration뭩 crisis.
[b]밳es, I can govern, and I am governing, whereas our opponents can only sit down and raise controversies at the expense of our poor, because they seek to turn down our society,?/b] she said.
Caretaker
However, former president Fidel Ramos proposed that Arroyo assume the role of 밹aretaker?until a new government would be established in 2006.
Speaking at a forum in Makati City, Ramos outlined the steps to establish a parliamentary form of government to replace the current presidential system.
밫he President and the others making a sacrifice to save the nation will be in the role of taking care of the country until the time comes,? Ramos said.
[b]밒t뭩 not just face-saving (for Arroyo), it is a breathing spell. It will be a graceful exit,?/b] said Ramos, an Arroyo ally.
In her address over Radyo ng Bayan, Arroyo said she would work with Congress to immediately amend the Constitution and to shift to a federal system of government.
She said the political system has degenerated to such an extent that there are endless investigations and scandals 밿n aid of politics and media projection, rather than in aid of legislation or executive action.?
National interest
The wiretapping scandal is the subject of a joint House inquiry. Virgilio Garcillano, the former election official the President called up, will be summoned to attend the hearing.
An influential group of Catholic schools, meanwhile, said it is up to the President to decide whether she will resign from her post.
밫he issue is something that we will leave to you꿻hat your conscience should address꿾hat is good for the nation,?said the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), whose members include the Ateneo de Manila University and the De La Salle University.
In Cebu, a coalition of nongovernment organizations and political and religious groups will launch the Gloria Step Down Movement today.
However, 56 of 79 governors also threw their support behind Arroyo.
The governors grouped under the League of Provinces said they believed she did not cheat in the election.
Will secede
They threatened to secede from the republic should 밒mperial Manila?force Arroyo뭩 ouster.
Arroyo also said she did not expect the civil society to ask for her resignation and form a 뱓ruth commission?regarding some of her political actions.
밪hameless people have peddled the lie that I confessed to cheating,?she said, adding that her talk with 밶n election official?happened after the certificates of canvass (COCs) had been used to proclaim the winning senators.
밒t was those same COCs that showed that I won by around a million votes. That is the truth,? she said.
She said her apology last June 27 was against the advice of her legal counsel but she did it because she felt it was the right thing to do.
(AFP/Sunnex)
Re: GMA asks all of her cabinet members to resign
for better philippines?? double her efforts
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