Embattled Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said yesterday she was leaving it up to Congress to decide if her term must be shortened under a proposal to shift to a parliamentary system from the current presidential form of government.
Arroyo, who has rejected calls for her to step down due to vote-rigging allegations, has urged Congress to amend the 1987 Constitution to overhaul the country's "deteriorating" political system.
But she stressed that Congress has the "exclusive prerogative" on the mode and content to the charter change, including the possible impact on her term which ends in 2010.
"The decision is to be made by the body tasked to amend the Constitution," Arroyo told a press conference, her first since the worst political crisis in her presidency erupted in June. "I don't want to speculate about what they will decide."
"Our country will continue to face crises until we change our system," she added. "Our system is really deteriorating over the years."
Former president Fidel Ramos has suggested that any change in the form of government must be completed from 10 months to one year, which would mean that Arroyo's term would be cut short.
Some observers have noted that the charter change was actually a "graceful exit" for Arroyo, who has faced mounting calls for her resignation since last month over allegations she cheated in the presidential vote of May last year.
Arroyo said she was grateful to Ramos for his continued support and his input on how to resolve the crisis, noting that everyone was allowed to make suggestions on charter change.
"But in the end, the final decision will be made by the body assigned to amend the Constitution," she added.
To gather the opinion of other sectors, Arroyo said she plans to form a "consultative constitutional commission" to discuss possible changes to the Constitution and "give inputs to the Congress."
She said the commission would be formed as soon as possible, and members could include such constitutional experts as former president of the University of the Philippines, Jose Abueva.
Opposition lawmakers have already filed an impeachment complaint against Arroyo, accusing her of cheating, lying and stealing.
The process, however, was expected to take longer because only 42 lawmakers endorsed the complaint, below the 79 needed to submit the case directly to the Senate for trial.
Arroyo's woes erupted last month when the opposition released audio tapes of recordings that allegedly prove the president cheated in last year's elections.
The recordings, which form part of the impeachment complaint, included wiretapped conversations allegedly between Arroyo and a senior election official discussing efforts to fix the vote.
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