Noynoy willing to give up House post

Deputy Speaker Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III said yesterday he is willing to give up his House post if his colleagues take it away from him as punishment for withdrawing his support for President Arroyo.

"If that is the punishment, then I will accept it. I did not aspire for this post. They offered it to me," he told reporters.

He was reacting to a statement of Majority Leader Prospero Nograles that the House would soon undertake a purge of "renegade" members – those who have called for the President’s resignation.

Aquino, who belongs to the Liberal Party (LP), has joined party mates led by Senate President Franklin Drilon, who is party president, in urging Mrs. Arroyo to step down.

The LP members said if the President does not resign, they would support moves to impeach her.

Aquino’s mother, former President Corazon Aquino, has also joined calls for Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation.

Aquino said Nograles and Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. should not be pushing for a purge since the two top House leaders were away in Europe during the first three weeks of the House inquiry into the "Hello Garci" recordings.

Another LP member, Rep. Abraham Mitra of Palawan, dissuaded House leaders from undertaking a purge.

Instead, Mitra suggested that De Venecia should try to woo back to the administration side those who have called for the President’s resignation and would most likely support moves to impeach her.

"It will be better to have them back in our tent than for them to pitch their tent in opposition territory," he said.

He said if members of the majority bloc who have urged Mrs. Arroyo to step down join the opposition in pushing for the President’s impeachment, chances are great that Mrs. Arroyo would be impeached.

Mitra has not joined his party mates in calling for the President’s resignation. He was absent from last Friday’s meeting when Drilon and his followers made the decision to sever ties with Mrs. Arroyo.