The political alliance Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Tuesday defended its calls for the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, as this would be the most legitimate remedy if the two highest officials of the land lose public trust.
Bayan secretary general Raymond Palatino deflected criticism of their call, arguing that the call for resignation was ‘not unconstitutional.’
In fact, Palatino said, calls for resignation would be a ‘perfectly legitimate, democratic and constitutionally contemplated remedy if the highest officials lose moral authority and public trust required to govern.’
Palatino, a former representative for Kabataan party-list, cited Article VII, Section 8 of the 1987 Constitution, which states that the resignation of both the President and the Vice President constitutes a ‘recognized mode of vacancy’ that triggers the constitutional line of succession.
‘The framers of the Constitution explicitly anticipated situations where a sitting president and vice president may no longer effectively lead the country,’ Palatino said in a statement. ‘They provided a peaceful, orderly mechanism for this eventuality.’
Malacañang was firm on its statement, saying that the President will not resign despite calls from critics to step down after he was dragged into the alleged scheme behind the flood control fiasco.
But this was in response to the United Peoples’ Initiative calling for him to resign if he fails to address all allegations hurled by his former ally, resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy ‘Zaldy’ Co, who accused the President of inserting items into the 2025 national budget.
The League of Cities of the Philippines also backed Marcos amid calls for his resignation, believing that his initiatives align with theirs.
For Palatino, Filipinos are facing a ‘tragic reality’ wherein the Marcos administration has ‘utterly failed’ and was ‘not serious’ in ending the rampant corruption that plagued the entire government.
He said the administration responded to the flood control scandal only with ‘token resignations, secretive investigations, political coverups and attempts to downplay or misdirect outrage.’
‘It is only the people’s outrage that has fueled the search for accountability,’ Palatino said.
‘In any functioning democracy, when leaders can no longer guarantee honesty, competence or accountability, they must step aside so the nation can begin to heal and rebuild,’ he pointed out.
He also clarified that the National Transition Council – which he described as a temporary, inclusive, transparent governance mechanism that will guide the country to ‘meaningful democratic renewal’ – is not a junta, since this will be composed of civilians.
Palatino explained that the council will only be limited and time-bound, with mandates including cleansing of institutions, strengthening democratic safeguards, restoring trust, and ensuring that the next elections will be free from ‘dynasty domination’ and vote-buying.
‘Calls for resignation and transition are not destabilization,’ he said. ‘They are the people’s safeguard against entrenched corruption, dynastic rule and systemic decay.’
‘The Constitution anticipated this moment, and the people are now asserting their sovereign right to demand a government that works for them, not against them,’ Palatino said. /das