Call for resignation must be peaceful — ROSES AND THORNS By Alejandro R. Roces

Last Monday, President Estrada said that his political enemies were planning to destabilize his administration with a series of bombings and arson in order to force him to resign. That is something that the authorities should not put up with. On this score, we agree 100% with Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma who said:

"What is being put to a test by the current political crisis is not the person of President Joseph Ejercito Estrada but rather the capability of the Filipino people to handle and resolve any political, economic and social crisis with patriotism and responsibility to maintain a strong and firm democracy, adhering to the basic principles guaranteed in the Constitution of freedom of speech, expression, of the press and peaceful assembly to seek redress of grievances as well as an enlightened choice of elected public officials thru an honest electoral process, all of which are effective measures to secure desired reforms in governance and in the morality of the lives of the country’s elected national and local leaders.

"It is the solemn responsibility of the citizenry to safeguard the stability of the democratic institutions enshrined in our Constitution, for political stability in the country is the principal key to economic progress and social peace and development for our people."

Former President Corazon Aquino also said it well. The country is asking, not demanding, that President Estrada makes the supreme self-sacrifice by resigning in order to save the country. The facts are, first, that an impeachment process will take more than a year and from the way it is being handled, the decision will not be based on the evidence presented to sustain the charges but by the political number of pro-Estrada members that compose the investigating body.

The important thing is the economy and there is every reason to believe that the peso and stock market will not recover until the present question is resolved. It will be a very noble gesture on the part of the President if he resigns for the sake of the people, specially the poor people who will suffer the most with the decline of the peso and the unemployment that will accompany the slump in the stock market.

Former President Aquino also offered President Estrada a second alternative and that is to go on leave while the impeachment proceedings are going on. If or when he is exonerated, he can re-assume his position as president.

We are facing the biggest national crisis since People’s Power. We are against all forms of violence. When we call for a display of People’s Power, we mean, first and foremost, a peaceful assembly to show just where the people stand on this vital issue. Congress will determine whether there is sufficient grounds to impeach the President. The problem is: What do we do in the meantime? Allow the economy to go to the dogs?

President Estrada should make the supreme sacrifice. That in itself will make him a noble figure. Next to offering one’s life, there can be no greater sacrifice than sacrificing one’s position for the sake of one’s country.