‘Let him have peace away from gov’t’: Escudero on calls for Aquino’s 2nd term

Sen. Francis Escudero INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines—The Aquino family has already rendered great service to the country, let them have peace and quiet away from the “media spotlight and headaches of government work,” Senator Francis Escudero said Tuesday.

“As a personal friend, I believe he and his family have already rendered great service to the country from his father who was martyred and his mother who served as President, and to himself,” Escudero said when asked about the full page advertisement in the Philippine Daily Inquirer calling for Aquino to run a second term.
“It would be too much to ask them for additional service. Maybe we should give them the time to live peacefully, quietly and happy, far from the media spotlight and headaches of working for government,” he said.

The full page advertisement cited the strong economic growth of the country as well as “major reforms” in financial policies that allegedly reduced graft and corruption.

“It seems that [Aquino] is still the best and only successor,” the advertisement from the group calling itself “Movement for Reform, Continuity and Momentum.”

“Lest we forget, President Aquino is an honest man. [Aquino] must now seek a second term in order to make sure that the country stays on course on the right road, and headed for continued growth and reform,” the advertisement said.

The group said they will conduct a signature campaign to gather eight million signatures that will ask Aquino to run again.

Escudero said that he has not been approached to sign anything but said that there is no such budget for a referendum or plebiscite that would pave the way for a constitutional amendment allowing a second term for Aquino.

“I have not seen it. I only read it in the newspaper, nobody has asked me to sign yet. There is no budget for a referendum or plebiscite to amend the constitution in 2015. Comelec does not have any budget for that,” Escudero, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, said.

“I do not agree with any amendment to the constitution for term extension. We are already 100 million Filipinos, it’s unlikely that there is not one in the 100 million that can deliver the same or better work, might be more talented, also has the interest of the country, and want to serve the people as president,” he said.

Escudero also said that it was not the proper time for a constitutional amendment given that Aquino’s term is about to end.

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