New President Gloria Arroyo denied yesterday that the "people power II" protests which forced her predecessor to quit could undermine democracy in the Philippines.
"In our Constitution, people power has also been enshrined," Arroyo told her first news conference since taking over last Saturday as Joseph Estrada packed to leave the presidential palace with tens of thousands of protesters outside demanding his resignation.
PHOTO: AFP
"I think the bottom line is how the markets accepted it," she said, detailing how the stock market and the peso both staged strong comebacks on the change in government. "These are indicators of trust ... and that the strengthening of democracy is the prevailing position."
Arroyo said she had received calls and letters of support from all over the world, including US President George W. Bush, who was inaugurated just hours after she was sworn in at the monument to the 1986 "people power" revolution that toppled late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
She introduced members of the partial Cabinet she has formed. Conspicuously absent was Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, who was holding a simultaneous media briefing to announce he was quitting over her national security adviser appointment.
Mercado, who stayed on after he and military chief General Angelo Reyes withdrew support of Estrada last Friday and joined the protesters, claimed Lisandro Abadia was tainted by a military corruption scandal four years ago.
Arroyo said she had not decided whether to accept the resignation, but that even if it were effective, it made little difference because he had planned to step down by Feb. 12 to run for the Senate.
She appeared miffed when asked if Mercado's resignation would affect the armed forces -- responding simply, "No," -- and when asked about rumors of a possible coup by Marine Lieutenant General Edgardo Espinosa.
Espinosa is a leader of at least three military groups that reportedly planned to defect from Estrada. Espinosa told reporters he was ready to secede last Saturday from Estrada with about 300 soldiers armed with six tanks, a helicopter and a military jet but that the plan was pre-empted by Reyes' defection the day before.
Espinosa has criticized Reyes for deciding too late to withdraw support from Estrada.
There is speculation that Espinosa might not have liked the Arroyo administration's decision to keep Reyes as head of the military.
"Espinosa is an old friend of mine," Arroyo said. "I will call him up right now and ask him."
After an aide with a cellular phone got through to the general, she got on the line and asked: "Are you going to stage a coup against me?"
She listened carefully to his response before telling the media that he claimed the reports were nothing more than imagination.
Justice Secretary Hernando Perez was asked about reports that Estrada might try to make a legal challenge to retake power because he did not sign a resignation and later sent a letter claiming he only had stepped down temporarily.
"There is no basis for President Estrada to recover his office," Perez said. "He was ousted from his office. He said his farewells. As far as the law is concerned, the former president is a former president."
The impeachment trial allegations that Estrada took bribes and kickbacks was transformed into a criminal investigation Monday on six possible charges.
Since then, Estrada has been barred from leaving the country and had at least one of his bank accounts was frozen.
There have been suggestions it might be best for the country if Estrada were allowed to go into exile.
Perez appeared to give a conflicting response when asked about the possibility. He said the "hold departure" order that was issued Tuesday remains in effect, then added: "If former president Estrada would like to leave the country, that is his decision. We cannot send him into exile."
Finance Secretary Alberto Romulo outlined the huge economic challenge, including a budget deficit that could hit 190 billion pesos (US$3.9 billion) this year after several years of surpluses before Estrada was elected in 1998.
"We have this huge hole to plug," he said. "This is the price we are paying and will have to pay."
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