Press Release
February 24, 2010

POWER-HUNGRY CABINET EXECS MUST RESIGN NOW -- ROXAS

Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Sen. Mar Roxas today rebuked six of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Cabinet members for their impudence to cling on to power despite a Supreme Court ruling ordering appointed officials seeking elective posts in the May 10 national and local elections to immediately resign from their posts.

Roxas said it was the height of disrespect to the SC - the highest court in the nation - for the six Cabinet members to refuse to give up their posts and continue using their executive privileges for partisan political purposes.

"Ang kakapal ng mukha nila. Nagmumukha na silang mga swapang sa kapangyarihan dahil pati Korte Suprema ay babastusin nila huwag lang mawala ang mga pribilehiyong nakukuha nila sa kanilang mga pwesto (They are so rude and so greedy for power! They do not want to follow the SC order so they would not lose the privileges they get from their positions," Roxas said.

"Mukhang nahawa na sila ng todo sa kanilang amo na ayaw umalis sa pwesto kahit siya na ang may pinakamabahong imahe sa mga naging Pangulo ng bansa (They have learned well from their leader, who continue to cling to power despite the fact she is the most unwanted president in the history of our country)," he added.

Roxas said it was unacceptable that President Arroyo seems to have consented her Cabinet men's disregard of the SC ruling, noting the absence of a direct order from the country's highest elective official for the executives' compliance with the SC order.

Among those affected by the SC ruling on appointed officials are Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya, Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera and Presidential Management Staff Director General Hermogenes Esperon, who are all seeking seats in Congress. Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Raul Gonzalez is also running for mayor of Iloilo.

Roxas had earlier asked the SC to reverse its December 1, 2009 division ruling that allowed incumbent appointed officials running for elective positions in the May 10 national and local elections not to resign even after their have filed their certificates of candidacies.

He filed the petition in his capacity as a taxpayer and lawmaker, arguing that the ruling gave the executives undue advantage to use the influence and financial resources of their offices for their political ambitions.

The SC upheld Roxas' arguments in its ruling last Monday and ordered all appointed officials running for elective posts in the national and local levels to immediately vacate their positions.

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