Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) strongly disagreed with pronouncements that calls for the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte in the midst of messy corruption scandals are unconstitutional, or “out of bounds.”
The alliance of progressive organizations took exception to statements by government officials that their resignation demands for government’s top two officials are “part of a sinister plot.”
“On the contrary, resignation is a perfectly legitimate, democratic, and constitutionally contemplated remedy when the country’s highest officials lose the moral authority and public trust required to govern,” BAYAN in a statement on Tuesday said.
The group’s assertion came as Senator Panfilo Lacson said over the weekend stressed that leadership changes outside constitutional succession are “unacceptable.”
Acting Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad was also quoted in news reports that the military is investigating links of other groups that called called for resignations to foreign entities.
Both Lacson and Trinidad were however specifically referring to retired military officers belonging to the United People’s Initiative who held another anti-corruption rally at the People Power Monument over the weekend.
Earlier, Palace spokesperson Undersecretary Claire Castro said resignation is not an option for Marcos Jr. even as presidential sister and senator Imee Marcos alleged the entire first family ar drug dependents.
Still, BAYAN said revelations that investigations are being conducted against those insisting on Marcos and Duterte’s resignations are ominous.
The alliance pointed out that Article VII, Section 8 of the 1987 Constitution that the resignation of both the President and Vice President is a recognized mode of vacancy, triggering 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. They provided a peaceful, orderly mechanism for this eventuality,” the group said.
Calls for resignation and transition are not destabilization, BAYAN insisted as they are the people’s safeguard against entrenched corruption, dynastic rule and systemic decay.
“The Constitution anticipated this moment, and the people are now asserting their sovereign right to demand a government that works for them, not against them,” BAYAN said.
In an interview with OneNews, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Egon Cayosa voiced a similar opinion, saying calling for a president’s resignation alone remains protected under free speech.
Additional revelations by Zaldy Co
Meanwhile, former House of Representatives appropriations committee chair Elizaldy Co released another video on alleged corruption by the Marcos government, this time including presidential son and Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos as among the personalities.
In his fifth video, the fugitive lawmaker said the younger Marcos also insisted on budget insertions as contractors already made cash advances to him on public works project kickbacks.
Co said Sandro got angry at him because P8 billion worth of budget insertions for the younger Marcos’ congressional district were not delivered in the 2025 national budget.
Sandro allegedly threatened to have Co removed as appropriations committee chair even as budget insertions worth 9.3 billion in 2023, 20.17 billion in 2024, and 21.12 billion were already given.
In his latest video, Co gave specific dates and addresses where he allegedly met with Pres. Marcos and in the presence of former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and justice undersecretary Jose Cadiz to talk about budget insertions.
In one such meeting earlier this year across Malacanang Palace, Marcos Jr. allegedly ordered Co not to mess with budget insertions, “making it clear the orders came from him.”
Marcos Jr. also did not fire former budget secretary Amenah Pangandaman who prepared the budget insertions the President reportedly “could no longer recognize.”
The case for a transition council
BAYAN said the Marcos Jr. administration has only responded to the flood control scandal with token resignations, secretive investigations, political cover-ups, and attempts to downplay or misdirect the people’s outrage.
“The tragic reality confronting the Filipino people is this: the current administration, like those before it, has utterly failed and is not serious in ending corruption and its devastating consequences,” the group said.
“It is only the people’s outrage that has fueled the search for accountability,” BAYAN added.
The alliance pointed out that in any functioning democracy, when leaders can no longer guarantee honesty, competence, or accountability, they must step aside so the nation can begin to heal and rebuild.
“That is why we call for the establishment of a broad-based, civilian-led National Transition Council (NTC) — a temporary, inclusive, transparent governance mechanism to guide the country from this crisis toward meaningful democratic renewal,” BAYAN said.
It explained that unlike recommendations made by retired AFP officers, an NTC is not a junta as it should be composed of civilians representing the genuine opposition leaders, basic sector organizations, church leaders, legal luminaries, academics, reformist business leaders, political and military officials with integrity, among others.
It added that their proposed NTC can:
- Ensure real accountability by investigating and prosecuting all corruption cases independently and without political interference;
- Implement long-delayed structural reforms, such as the anti-political dynasty law, which is already mandated by the Constitution but has been deliberately ignored by Congress for nearly four decades; and,
- Prepare for clean, credible, democratic elections by, among other things, reforming the COMELEC and putting in place a truly transparent hybrid election system.
The NTC’s mandate will be limited and time-bound to cleanse institutions, strengthen democratic safeguards, restore trust, and ensure that the next elections are free from dynasty domination, vote-buying, budget manipulation, and corruption, BAYAN said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
