Support
and dissatisfaction were expressed from various members of the academe and
studentry of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) amidst calls for President
Benigno Aquino III (PNoy) to resign due to the Mamasapano, Maguindanao incident
last Jan. 25.
“[For me,] no. Kasi some experts
believe na six years is too short para makagawa ng long-term reform. So, kung
puputulin yung term ni PNoy, maha-hamper yung what progress he will bring,”
said Ralph Hernandez, who is the editor-in-chief of the Varsitarian, the
university-wide publication of UST.
Believing that the demands for
resignation were increased due to the clash in Maguindanao, Hernandez voiced
that the country’s stability will be put into risk once the president will be
ousted in office, if not to step down.
However, Professor Girly Constantino
who is a member of the Institute of Religion (IR) aired that she wants Aquino
to leave his post, but “not to the point of becoming violent [by impeachment].”
“Gusto ko siya mismo ang makakita sa
mga pagkakamali niya. Ang rami na nangyari sa Pilipinas, nasaan siya? Remember
the Hong Kong bus tragedy and even here, nasaan siya?” Constantino asked.
Saying that the ongoing hearing of
the Mamasapano confrontation was scripted, Constantino finds the inquiry
process “questionable” due to the evasion occurring in the investigation headed
by the Senate members.
She added that she “feels sorry” for
the president because of how he governs the country by showing ignorance and
the way of how he questions the previous administration which was rocked with
multiple controversies.
Prof. Anita Garcia, a member of the
Dean’s Council of the Faculty of Arts and Letters and former Student Welfare
Development Board (SWDB) head, showed support for the president to continue his
term.
“I think the President will not
resign. But, what about impeachment? It’s possible that he will not have
control over that. Except, if you ask me about impeachment per se, given our
political system right now and given all the problems that we are struggling
through, dapat we should not think of anything that will seriously rock our
political system right now,” Garcia conveyed.
She supplemented that Filipinos
“should learn to look back when he began his term, what he was able to do”
despite drawing criticisms and negativity, saying further that there were
people who believed in him towards his “matuwid na daan” movement.
“Will it make the situation [better]
if we impeach our president? Then we have to go back to the constitution, the
laws of the land. In the manner of succession, will he be sufficient? Does he
have enough moral ascendancy more than Aquino? I am weary of unresolved issues
like the PDAF. You know given whoever will be in position, pwede mawala lahat
‘yan,” added Garcia of the possibility of whoever will succeed Aquino if
resignation or impeachment transpires.
Since August 2014, numerous demands
for Aquino to resign have been voiced; citing incompetency to the position, but
the spokespeople of Malacañan responded the president’s wish for completion in
2016. (30)
