MANILA – University of the Philippines (UP) Professor Randy David is not giving up the fight against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Interviewed on ANC's Strictly Politics on Tuesday, David said he has just transferred the battle to another arena.
“This is the arena of public opinion which involves the entire Filipino nation and not just voters in the second district of Pampanga. I really believe President Arroyo crossed the line of public decency and trust which govern all public officials when she filed her Certificate of Candidacy,” David told ANC's Pia Hontiveros.
“I'm now pressuring all our countrymen to ask her to relinquish all powers of the president, to resign if she doesn't want to be impeached or driven from office,” David added.
He is also calling on presidential candidates to ensure fair elections next year.
He said they should sign a collective letter urging the President to step down now “in order to ensure non-partisan electoral exercise in 2010.”
No match
David was widely expected to challenge Arroyo's congressional bid.
“I'm not an electoral animal myself. I think there's a way of fighting in which the battle is not so unjust. The President has been engaged in premature campaigning since 5 months ago after almost 50 visits to the province. You can't possibly match that,” David said, explaining his decision not to run.
“She's using as means to patronage, public funds that are at her disposal as president. I would have lost in an election where the entire game has been rigged from the start,” he added.
The UP professor also said he refused to give credence to Arroyo's political plans.
“Running against her, presenting a serious candidate against her - somebody who has no qualms about using the power of the president - would have been an acceptance, it would be conferring legitimacy on exercise that's false from the start. What she's doing is totally unprecedented. It's a breach of public trust which is ground for impeachment" he stated.
Dreaded scenario
Arroyo's congressional bid is suspected to have something to do with plans to change the country's system of government from presidential to parliamentary, with herself as Speaker of the House.
According to David, the President and her allies could be plotting another scenario entirely.
“There is another scenario which I really dread as a Filipino. It will continue political destabilization in the country... a no-proclamation scenario of all candidates of all offices - senator, vice-president and president,” he said.
“Only local officials will be proclaimed and that includes congressmen. You might possibly have a House Speaker, but no president, no vice-president, no Senate president. You'll only have an acting president,” ended David.
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