Palace remains unfazed by groups asking Aquino to step down

President Benigno S. Aquino III presides over the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board Meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room of the Malacañan Palace on Monday (February 16, 2015). (Photo by Rey Baniquet / Malacañang Photo Bureau / PCOO)

MANILA  – Malacanang remains unfazed by certain groups calling for resignation of President Benigno Aquino III, saying the “President is no stranger to calls for resignation.”

”Again, if you look at some of the groups that have been making these statements, their positions are not new. Some of them have made these calls years ago, and it has not born fruit favorably for them,” Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing in Malacanang.

Valte believed that the groups asking the President to step down have no majority support from people.

”Perhaps, at this juncture, only the people can tell if they will back these groups. But, thus far, there is no indication, at least at this point, that they are supported by the majority,” Valte told the media.

Valte made this reaction to the reports that a group called EDSA 2/22 Coalition are calling for the President resignation and pushing for the creation of people’s transition government to be headed by the Chief Justice.

”Well, for one, we do not share the same perception that it is gaining ground,” she said.

Nevertheless, Valte emphasized that President Aquino is aware that any action or call is part of democracy.

”He is also cognizant that he — as president, as an individual — cannot also please everybody all the time and he is cognizant of the fact that there are opposing views that exits in any democratic space, and as such, he just does his work the best that he can,” Valte said.

The presidential spokesperson also believed ‘at this time’, there is no need for loyalty checks amid coup rumors following the Mamasapano incident that left 44 Special Action Force (SAF) men dead.

”I think the military and the security establishments have made their positions clear on this issue,” Valte said.

She is hoping the Aquino administration will be able to hurdle the issue once the Board of Inquiry of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has finished its investigation into the bloody Mamasapano encounter last Jan. 25.

”We hope that in due time questions will be answered as well. We hope to move on and to properly find a resolution to all of these,” Valte said.

When asked to confirm rumors that President Aquino is already preparing for an exit plan, Valte responded: “The President will step down on June 30, 2016.”

”I can tell you that. Any reports or stories of any other exit plan apart from that are fictitious,” she added.

Valte assured the President will continue to do his work and will deal the resignation call “when it comes.”