‘Opposition won’t support any coup’

The political opposition won’t support any move to violently topple the Arroyo administration, House Assistant Minority Leader Abraham Mitra (LDP, Palawan) said yesterday.

"This should be clear to those reportedly massing up support in the military and other sectors for a coup," he said.

However, Mitra said the opposition is calling on Mrs. Arroyo to put her house in order and to be true to her word that she wants good governance.

"She has to show it," said Mitra, son of the late former Speaker Ramon Mitra Jr.

He added that he and his opposition colleagues will support peaceful actions to force the President to stick to the path of good governance.

He pointed out that grumbling in many sectors means that there is "creeping dissatisfaction over her rule" which she should not ignore.

Mitra stressed that Mrs. Arroyo should be allowed to finish her term in 2004 and, if she performs poorly, the nation should replace her with a better leader.

Meanwhile, Malacañang dismissed the call of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. for the President to unify the country by dropping her plans to run for a second term in 2004.

Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said the President prefers not to respond to such calls by the opposition who, he said, are trying to make the 2004 elections an issue to destabilize the government.

"It’s a non-issue at this point," Tiglao said. "Any politician would know that a month is too long in politics. If you want to campaign, you have to do it right before the 2004 elections."

Tiglao said if Mrs. Arroyo is focused on 2004 it is only with the aim of stabilizing the country’s economy.

Tiglao also dismissed Pimentel’s challenge that all Cabinet appointees who have been bypassed by the congressional Commission on Appointments resign.

"It’s still the President’s position that some (appointees) may have been bypassed because of lack of time and she has reappointed all the members of the Cabinet," he said.

"It would now be up to the CA to confirm them or not," added Tiglao, who is himself among those whose appointment was bypassed by the CA.

Pimentel made the two suggestions over the weekend purportedly so that people would believe in the President’s sincerity. - Jess Diaz, Paolo Romero, Nikko Dizon