Cojuangco’s call for Aquino to resign damaging, but won’t succeed—Osmeña

MANILA, Philippines—Former  Tarlac Representative  Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr.’s call  for  a change  in leadership would  not be “very  effective”   but was “morally damaging” to his nephew President  Benigno Aquino III,  an allied senator  said on Thursday.

While recognizing that Cojuangco’s involvement in the reported moves against Aquino was alarming, Senator Serge Osmeña III   branded the proposed establishment of a National Transition Council a “wishful thinking.”

“Well, from moral point of view yes,”   Osmeña told reporters when asked if the former congressman’s support for a change in leadership  was alarming.

“If a member of your family is the one that asked for you to step down syempre medyo masakit personally. But  since Congressman Peping does not head a big group, whether  it’s party or a movement, it will not be very effective but its morally damaging to the President,”  he said.

Osmeña remains confident that the President will be able to complete his term by 2016.

“Yes,  I think that he has a constitutional vow to finish his term of office and  the people will not take extra-legal measures to remove him from office and they will not tolerate anything outside the law,”  he said.

“How will you oust PNoy (Aquino’s nickname)? You  can only do that either through a coup d’état or through  impeachment so let them file an impeachment,” the senator added.

Osmeña expressed doubts  that there are a number of people who are willing to join a coup against the Aquino administration despite  growing  frustration  over the death of 44  elite policemen in the Mamasapano operation last January 25.

“There’s absolutely no basis for them  to join in a coup d’état  again,” he further said.

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