Noli qualified to take over Joker, Nene

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Sen. Joker Arroyo yesterday said Vice President Noli de Castro can take over the presidency if the situation calls for it.

Pimentel said he would take De Castro rather than allow President Arroyo’s “evil empire” to continue for the next two years.

He explained a De Castro presidency would be acceptable if snap elections were not possible.

Senator Arroyo said De Castro was “qualified” to do the job but the move to oust the President would not come from him.

Senator Arroyo added that so far, there were no clear movements yet to unseat the Chief Executive through people power and that the forces against her apparently could not agree yet on who should replace her.

“I checked even in the provinces and there were still no movements yet,” Senator Arroyo said.

Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. refused to talk about any post-Arroyo scenario and said the moral revolution council he was putting up with former House speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. was not because of the snowballing of support for moves to oust Mrs. Arroyo.

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, whose father former President Joseph Estrada, was kicked out of office in 2001 due to corruption charges, said it was saddening that the Arroyos remain in power despite their “brazenness” in robbing the people’s money.

“Ang garapal. But still they are there,” Estrada said.

But Estrada said his father would still not join the rallies against Mrs. Arroyo.

“He is not needed there,” the senator said.