Movement launched to ensure GMA steps down on June 30

MANILA, Philippines - A group of religious, militant and civil society leaders that helped install President Arroyo into power during the second EDSA revolution nine years ago launched a movement to ensure that she would be stepping down from the presidency on June 30.

Calling itself the “June 30 Movement,” the group launched a campaign last Wednesday to remind Mrs. Arroyo to leave office on that date.

The group launched their campaign near the EDSA Shrine in Quezon City while at the same time, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced that President Arroyo is qualified to run for Congress in the May 10 elections.

The group released a statement stressing their commitment to monitor Mrs. Arroyo if she would indeed step down from power.

“On January 20, 2009 noon time, exactly nine years after Arroyo took her oath to serve and protect the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. We shall launch this movement to remind her to abide by the term limit as mandated by the Constitution,” the group said.

They said their aim is to “uphold the constitutional mandate and requirement that a new and duly-elected President be sworn in by 12 noon of June 30, 2010.”

“She (President Macapagal-Arroyo) has to leave midday of June 30 as the Constitution says. In whatever shape or form or capacity, and not for any minute longer should she remain in power,” said Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, the whistle-blower of the controversial national broadband network deal, who spoke in behalf of the group.

Malacañang, on the other reiterated yesterday that there is no question that President Arroyo will step down on June 30 as mandated by law.

Conrado Limcaoco, the officer-in-charge of the Office of the Press Secretary, said Mrs. Arroyo’s bid to represent the province of Pampanga in Congress should be evidence enough that she will step down when her term ends on June 30.

“I think the fact that she has declared her candidacy for the House of Representatives in Pampanga is sufficient to answer your question and she is in fact seriously seeking that so that reminder is redundant or unnecessary I believe,” Limcaoco said.

Limcaoco stressed Mrs. Arroyo is intent in following the Constitution by allowing the elections to determine her lawful successor in the presidency.

“The fact that (Mrs. Arroyo) is running for office for another post, is perhaps the best answer to that,” Limcaoco pointed out.          – Marvin Sy