Palace snubs group urging resignation

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang has ruled out a dialogue with a multisectoral group calling for President Benigno Aquino III to resign, saying the group’s demand did not reflect the stand of the Catholic bishops.

Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Malacañang had no plans to sit down with the National Transformation Council (NTC) which counts prominent Catholic bishops among its members.

“Apart from the reports aired in the media, there’s no other move [from them] to reach out to the administration,” Valte told state-run dzRB radio.

In the meantime, Malacañang will continue to report the administration’s policies and accomplishments in press briefings and other forums, she said.

In an assembly in Cebu last Tuesday, the NTC challenged Mr. Aquino to step down, claiming that he had lost the moral ascendancy to lead the country.

Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa, Batangas, and Bishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla of Davao City were reported to have led the meeting.

But Valte said she had not read any statement from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) supporting the NTC’s statement.

And contrary to the reports, she said Vidal had denied being part of the group calling for the President’s resignation.

“At least at this point, we will respond to the concerns raised in the NTC, but we would be reluctant to use the stand of the NTC as reflective of the Catholic bishops,” she said. TJ Burgonio

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