by Aytch S. de la Cruz (The Daily Tribune)
Malacañang yesterday urged the Liberal Party (LP) senatorial candidate, Risa Hontiveros, to consider the option of taking a rest from running after the Chief Executive, assuming that her plan to file a motion for reconsideration does not prosper.
“She (Hontiveros) can pursue the case against the President — she can file any kind of motion... But I am sure that motion for reconsideration will be denied also (by the SC) and I know that Ms. Hontiveros is aware that her case is not going anywhere,” Arroyo’s counsel, Romulo Macalintal, told a press conference.
Deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar, for his part, said: “If you (Hontiveros) are going to insist on doing something which you know you have a right to do so but at the same time are aware of the fact that it is not going anywhere, in this case, it only goes to show that you’re just doing it to gain continuous publicity.”
Olivar also warned the voting public of Hontiveros’ political character citing the inappropriate tenacity on her part, reflected by her continuous pursuit to have Arroyo disqualified from entering the congressional race.
“If this is the kind of behavior that our aspirant friends are showing now, what more if they already get elected and have that valid grasp for authority?” he commented.
Hontiveros said Arroyo must not be allowed to run as representative of Pampanga’s second district due to conflict of interest since she may have the tendency to use and abuse the privileges that her position as President of the country give her.
Macalintal disputed Hontiveros’ reiteration of her argument on the election ban provision based on her interpretation of Article 7, Section 4 in the 1987 Constitution that should have prohibited any incumbent president from seeking any reelection and/or elective position.
He stressed that there was no grave abuse of discretion on the parts of the Comelec and the high court upon their issuance of the resolution allowing Arroyo to run as Pampanga’s second district representative to Congress.
“I have never encountered any law or any provision in our Constitution disallowing the President of the Philippines from running for any position. However may you read our Constitution, you won’t see any prohibition,” Macalintal insisted.
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