Resignation is not the solution

In the face of too many charges and countercharges and in the midst of so many scandals, controversies, and crises, it will neither solve anything nor would it redound to any good to the nation, if and when the President, the Chief Justice, and the Ombudsman would tender their simultaneous resignation, as proposed by the chief executive himself.

Under Article XI, Section 2 of the Philippine Constitution, the three of them, along with the Vice President, the Chairpersons and all Commissioner soft he Come lec, the Civil Service Commission and the Commission on Audit, can be removed by impeachment. The grounds are conviction of culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes or betrayal of public trust.

Knowing the president by now, we concur with the opinion aired by San Beda Graduate Law School Dean Fr. Ranhilio Aquino that President Rodrigo Duterte was not really very serious when he made that off-the-cuff challenge to the Chief Justice and the Ombudsman. If the Ombudsman has evidence against the president, then let that

office come up with the appropriate legal action in accordance with law. If Malacañang, on the other hand, has the goods on both the Chief Justice and the Ombudsman, then the president can easily order the Secretary of Justice to start working on the proper legal moves against the two lady officials. It is neither healthy nor decent for our top public officials to be throwing mud against each other. The whole world is watching. ASEAN is watching. The UN is watching.And our children are watching.

Resignation is not the answer, especially for the president who has a standing mandate conferred on him by no less than seventeen million Filipinos who voted for him. With all due respect, our head of state and head of government cannot just abandon his sworn responsibilities just because Senator Antonio Trillanes IV never stops attacking him, and charging him of serious offenses involving the honor, the character, and the integrity of the highest official of the government. He cannot just leave the seat of the presidency just because the Office of the Ombudsman has announced that they are looking into the financial records and banking transactions of the Dutertes. These are nothing but allegations. Since the president is a brilliant lawyer and former prosecutor, he knows that allegations are not evidence, and a charge does not prove anything, until and unless buttressed by sufficient evidence.

Since the three of them are lawyers they know full well what they are talking about and thus, they should be the first to exemplify respect for the rule of law and deference to the due process of our legal systems. It does not speak well of our leaders to be seen and heard by our children berating each other in public fora. They are officers of the court and members of the bar. And they are parents and grandparents. They should always remember that what the young children see in them will most surely create a deep impact on the minds of the youth.

And so, with all due respect, we call upon them to exercise utmost restraint and stop challenging each other to re sign. They should perform their duties and let the people judge who among them is right.