• Office of the Minority Leader Rep. Edcel C. Lagman
• (0916)640-6737 / 9315497
• 23 November 2011

The call for resignation of former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is utterly uncalled for and baseless for the following overriding reasons:

1. There are pending prejudicial questions before the Supreme Court which if resolved in favor of the petitioners would nullify the proceedings of the joint DOJ-Comelec Panel whose constitutionality and jurisdiction are being challenged, and will also result in the quashal of the precipitately issued warrant of arrest by the RTC of Pasay City;
2. GMA, like any citizen, enjoys the constitutional presumption of innocence;
3. Precedents involving Members of the House in similar situations were not made to resign pending final adjudication of their cases;
4. Resignation is personal to the incumbent and is not subject to the premature “judgment” of a colleague or the institution;
5. Service to the constituents can be extended by the incumbent’s staff under her direction and the bills she has filed are now pending before the legislative mill.