In a speech before the 141 graduates of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), De Castro said the current political crisis has severely affected the country’s economy, causing the stock market to become unstable and international credit ratings to plummet to their lowest levels during the past weeks.
The country needs "more leaders who can sacrifice for the welfare of the majority of our people so we can be able to subdue the many challenges our country faces today," he said.
De Castro reiterated that he will remain loyal to the Constitution and will not be swayed into any extra-legal moves "that would subvert the foundation of our democratic ideals."
The opposition has been calling for President Arroyo to resign, with some groups batting for the Vice President to take over her post while others are seeking De Castro’s resignation as well.
Commenting on the street protests being conducted by the opposition to force Mrs. Arroyo to step down, De Castro said each citizen had the right to participate in such activities, and that rallies should be allowed as long as they are peaceful and orderly.
De Castro told the graduates, however, that once they take up jobs overseas, they should help strengthen the country’s fiscal position and act as ambassadors of goodwill while in their host countries.
De Castro had flown to the MAAP campus at the coastal village of Alas-Asin in this town to lead in the distribution of diplomas to the graduates, 70 of whom received degrees in marine transportation while others received degrees in marine engineering.
He also inaugurated the MAAP’s state-of-the-art simulator center and its integrated ship simulation system, which has the capability to link the full mission bridge simulator with the newly acquired center, the first of its kind in Asia.