'Arroyo can't serve as caretaker'
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 06/24/2009 10:20 PM
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MANILA - Constitutional lawyer Edwin Lacierda has said that after June 30, 2010, President Arroyo cannot serve as caretaker president even in a worst-case scenario of failure of elections.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, on the other hand, allayed fears of failure of the 2010 elections, saying a breakdown of 80,000 machines and 1,200 spare machines is “statistically impossible.”
Appearing on Tuesday in ANC's Strictly Politics hosted by Pia Hontiveros, Lacierda said, “Come hell or high water, Gloria Arroyo cannot ever be caretaker president” when her term ends noon of June 30, 2010.
Lacierda said the Constitution is very clear. “It's the Senate President who will take over. If he is not capable or incapacitated, it's the Speaker of the House.”
If the two, for one reason or another, are not available, Lacierda said, Congress shall provide who shall serve as acting president until the President or Vice-President are elected.
Lacierda described as “running myth” the idea that Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno can serve as acting president. “There's nothing in the Constitution that says that,” he said.
If failure of elections happens, special elections may be held under Arroyo's presidency, Jimenez said
Jimenez described as “vigilance in steroids” and “hyper vigilance” the scenarios of failure of elections as warned by Youth Vote Philippines.
He expressed concern that paranoia could erode public confidence in the results of the elections even if they were credible.
Youth Vote's Maxine Tanya Hamada expressed concern over the lack of guarantees by the telecommunication companies which will be transmitting the election results.
“We are trying to ask the question to address the vulnerability that may be there. It's better that we ask the question now before we get to that (worst) scenario,” she said.
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