Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) chair and former Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro ‘Teddy’ Casiño on Monday agreed to Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s call for members of the executive and the legislative branches to resign, but opposed to the senator’s suggestion of a snap election.
‘I think a snap election will not solve the problem because we know how problematic our election is, but I do agree, when he said they should all resign and leave office, that’s probably a good starting point,’ Casiño told the Inquirer.
Cayetano, in a Facebook post on Sunday, called for a snap election, and the resignation of his elected colleagues in the executive and legislative branches in government, in response to public distrust brought by the ongoing investigations on supposed flood-control project anomalies.
Casiño disapproved of a snap election, saying that only those in political dynasties, and those with money would win the elections regardless, even alluding that there are those who already use government funds to maintain their power.
The ex-congressman also said that corruption needs a more ‘fundamental’ solution.
‘That will not solve the problem, it will probably just change the people in government, but it will not change the system. We need something more fundamental,’ Casiño pressed.
Still, Casiño shared that Cayetano may have been joking, adding that he ‘did not think’ the senator was serious in his call for a snap election.
Apart from Casiño, Cayetano’s suggestion sparked criticisms and doubts from current and former government officials, among others.
Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said that Cayetano’s idea of a snap election barring incumbent officials to run ‘without a lawful cause’ may be unconstitutional.
Similarly, Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia also said that there must be a law to execute a snap election in the first place. Garcia also called the mass resignation ‘problematic’ if it happens, as legislators who are meant to adopt the election in the first place would not exist.
Cayetano’s own brother, former Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano, challenged the senator to lead his own call in resigning.