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Journalism of Courage
MANILA, NOV 2: Philippine Trade Secretary Manuel Roxas resigned from the Cabinet on Thursday, the second Minister to quit embattled President Joseph Estrada’s Government after he was accused of taking bribes from gambling syndicates.
Roxas’ resignation and the simultaneous defections of two Congressmen from the ruling coalition came amid mounting calls from church, business and opposition groups for Estrada to resign and a move in Congress to impeach him.
“I have today submitted my resignation to the President,” Roxas said in a statement.
“For the good of the country, I appeal to all for sobriety. It is important that this period of uncertainty be resolved at the soonest time,” Roxas said.
“Accordingly, it is my hope that the Constitutional-prescribed process begin and is conducted with speed and transparency,” Roxas said, apparently referring to an impeachment case filed by the opposition against Estrada in the House of Representatives.
He added, “It will be a profound loss and disservice to us as a people if it is discredited or thwarted.”
Roxas gave no reason for his resignation. This was the second resignation to hit the Cabinet since the bribery scandal broke out, early last month.
Vice-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo quit her post as social welfare Minister in the Cabinet on October 12, days after a provincial Governor accused Estrada of receiving 414 million pesos ($8.1 million) in supposed pay-offs from gambling syndicates running underground lotteries.
Estrada has denied the accusations, rejected calls for him to resign and vowed to fight the impeachment action against him.
If Estrada was to resign or is impeached, Macapagal-Arroyo would automatically become president.
Earlier on Thursday, Lower House Economic Committee Affairs Chairman Ralph Recto and Justice Committee Vice Chief Neptali Gonzales II also quit the ruling coalition.
“I am calling on my colleagues to join me. Let us be together for the good of the nation…The handwriting is on the wall,” Recto said.
Gonzales urged Estrada to step down “to save the nation from being torn asunder by fratricidal strife”.
There was no immediate comment from the Presidential Palace to the rash of desertions.
Earlier on Thursday, Presidential Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said Estrada was considering calling a National vote on whether Filipinos still wanted him to stay in office or not.
“That is one of the things the President is considering,” Presidential Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said on Thursday, commenting on a proposal from some of Estrada’s supporters for him to call a referendum on the issue of public confidence in his leadership.
Roxas’s resignation came as rumours swept the capital that four top business executives from large corporations — including Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, president and chief executive of conglomerate Ayala Corp — had also resigned from the Presidential Council of Senior Economic Advisers.
Finance Secretary Jose Pardo said he had not received any official notices from the four but would meet them on Friday.
Opposition leader Heherson Alvarez said he was confident his group could marshal enough votes in the House of Representatives to impeach the former movie actor and put him on trial for alleged bribery and corruption.
The Justice Committee is to formally open impeachment hearings on Monday.
The ruling coalition controls more than 80 per cent of seats in the 218-member Lower House and holds a comfortable majority in the Senate.
Theoretically, it can overwhelm any move to impeach Estrada but charges of presidential misdeeds have put the coalition unity under tremendous strain.
An impeachment action against the President must be approved by a third of the House or at least 73 Congressmen before Estrada is put on trial by the 22-member Senate. Fifteen votes are needed to unseat him.
The opposition says it has collected more than 50 votes in the House so far but is assured of 76 with pledges from others. Pro-Administration Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr has also quit the coalition.
