Arroyo asking appointees to refuse to resign, Pangilinan says

Despite the Arroyo administration’s assurance of smooth transition, the outgoing president is building her “phalanx of loyalists" who are expected to be loyal to her when she steps out of Malacañang, Senator Francis Pangilinan said on Thursday. Outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been calling her appointees up, asking them to stay on and refuse to submit their courtesy resignations to incoming President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, said Pangilinan in a weekly Senate forum, citing information he received. “The information I’m receiving is it’s the President herself who is talking to a number of appointees…. She is building a phalanx of GMA [Gloria Macapagal Arroyo] loyalists who, when she steps down, she hopes to rally behind her and protect her back," he said. However, he refused to name the source of information despite reporters’ insistence. “Basta" (Don’t ask why) was all he could say when asked to give a clue on the source. “I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of that information, take it from there," he added. The senator believed the presence of Arroyo appointees would create more problems for the Aquino administration. “Itong mga (statement na) we want them to succeed, we sincerely hope ganyan ganyan smooth transition, iba ang sinasabi, iba ang ginagawa e kaya ang panawagan natin kay President Arroyo please don’t create more problems as it is and please stop making these calls because out of delicadeza, all these appointees should submit their courtesy resignation," he said. (What they are saying is different from what they’re doing.) He also urged the Arroyo appointees to submit their respective resignations to allow Aquino to pick his choice. Pangilinan said refusal to do could lead to legal problems because Aquino will most likely issue an executive order revoking the appointments of the previous administration. The appointees then could question this before the Supreme Court and the process would go on. He earlier said Armed Force chief of staff General Delfin Bangit flip-flopped on the issue of his giving courtesy resignation to Aquino because Mrs. Arroyo called him and pressed him not to resign. “We urge Bangit to stop being GMA’s puppet. GMA has not learned from the illegal ‘Hello Garci’ calls. Now it’s ‘hello Delfin’," Pangilinan said. Senators have earlier asked Mrs. Arroyo’s appointees to submit their resignation to Aquino. Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said beneficiaries of what are deemed midnight appointments should not insist on staying put upon the expiration of President Arroyo’s term. The senator said the Arroyo appointees should realize that they could not work effectively and harmoniously with the administration of Aquino because they do not enjoy his trust and confidence. Reports have it that there were 250 midnight appointments issued by Mrs. Arroyo and 195 of them were signed from March l to 9 alone. The ban on midnight appointments took effect on March 10 or two months before the May 10 elections. Senator Francis Escudero had said that midnight appointments are invalid based on previous decisions of the Supreme Court. He said only two exceptions are allowed: 1) temporary appointments to avoid any prejudice to public service or danger to public safety as a result of a vacancy; and 2) appointments in the SC as recently ruled by the SC itself. “The intention of the constitution is to allow the next president to make any appointment in sensitive government posts and GOCCs. Any hastily made appointments now are not only unconstitutional but a blatant disregard of the rule of law". - RJAB Jr./LBG, GMANews.TV