Ms. Ronadale Zapata
83321148/8334507
I'M NOT AN OPTION, I'M THE SUCCESSOR — VP NOLI
26 October 2005
VICE-President Noli 'Kabayan' De Castro declared yesterday he is not an option for the
presidency but
the successor
to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in case
she leaves Malacanang.
De Castro
raised anew his constitutional mandate as an elected vice president of the country to
replace the president amidst
mounting calls for her to resign.
The vice
president made the statement in response to several groups' pronouncements that he is
being considered as an option
to take the place of the
president.
“I believe
its wrong for them to consider me merely an option because I am the sole
constitutional successor to
the president if President Arroyo resigns. If they disregard the Constitution, I should
remind them that they are
disregarding the voice of the majority of our people who respect and abide by the
Constitution,” De Castro said.
Talking to
reporters during his surprise market visit to monitor prices of basic goods and
commodities at a private
market in Karuhatan, Valenzuela yesterday, De Castro also found it wrong for the group
to set a deadline for him to
respond to their offer.
“ It is
highly improper to give me a deadline. And most importantly, it is also not proper
to consider me a mere option.
The law clearly states that the vice president shall succeed the president if
she steps down from power, and
the sovereign Filipino people
already decided that to be me,” De Castro said.
“I am the constitutional successor, if and when there is a vacancy in the presidency,” the Vice
President pointed out.
Earlier, several groups such as the Black and white, the Makati Business Club, and those
aligned with
former
president Corazon Aquino said they are considering De Castro as an option to
replace Arroyo in an apparent
presumption that the latter's stay in Malacanang is coming to a near end.
The group set a deadline for De Castro to give his response; otherwise, the vice president
would be taken out from their
list of options.
Asked whether
he is being pressured in any way by the group, De Castro said he refuses to be
affected by politics since it
would not do any good for the
country.
“Hindi ko
pinapansin ang pulitika. Magtrabaho na lang tayo para sa ikagaganda ng buhay ng ating
mga kababayan,” he said.
Ref.
VPMEDIA 05-158
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2005
Office of the Vice President (OVP)
Management Information Services
Division (MISD). All rights reserved.
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