Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) and other progressive groups demanded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte’s resignation.
BAYAN chairperson Teddy Casino in a press conference on Monday said the top two elected officials of the country are both corrupt and should be made to resign.
He said they reject constitutional succession frameworks as top government officials are involved in the festering corruption scandal in government.
To replace them, BAYAN called for the creation of a national transition council that will temporarily govern the country as a democratic civilian authority, rejecting military involvement in the proposed body.
“These will be our call from here on,” Casino said.
Personalities to compose the council may come from judiciary, congress and political groups with no involvement in corruption, he added.
The former Bayan Muna lawmaker said details of the formation of the council must be discussed with other political forces, citing EDSA I and II as well as suggestions of a transition council to replace the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo government as historical lessons.
“Details will be threshed out in discussions in the next weeks. But first, Marcos and Duterte must go,” he said.
As massive anti-corruption protests are ongoing, a transition council must already be discussed for accountability and justice to be achieved, Casino further said.
Nov. 30 protests
Basic sector organizations Kilusang Mayo Uno and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas announced their agreement with both demands, promising to mobilize thousands of protesters on November 30, the next major anti-corruption nationwide rallies.
Urban poor group Kadamay, women’s alliance Gabriela, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, transport workers organization Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide, Indigenous Peoples’ alliance Sandugo and rights organization Karapatan joined the press conference.
The groups made the call as former House of Representatives (HOR) appropriations committee Elizalde Co released three videos admitting he delivered hundreds of millions worth of kickback to both Marcos Jr. and former speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez in recent years.
Investigations by the HOR, Senate and the Independent Commission on Infrastructures have revealed deep and widespread corruption in flood control projects involving hundreds of billions.
The groups said Marcos Jr. is most liable for the corruption for having signed into law national budgets with so-called unprogrammed funds where many of the flood control projects were funded.
They added that Duterte is unfit to ascend to the presidency as she has yet to account for irregular disbursements as vice president and education secretary.
Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay that should Marcos, Duterte and involved top officials resign, the national transition council should prosecute them for justice.
There would be no real justice if (Marcos and Duterte) would be allowed to continue their fake investigations,” Palabay said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
