MANILA - Senator Pia Cayetano on Saturday criticized the appeals made by the presidential deputies to respect President Arroyo’s decision to stay silent about her political plans in 2010.

“If you do not object to what someone says or does, you can be assumed to agree with or condone it,” said Cayetano in a statement issued Saturday.

“Thus, when the President is supporting an immoral and unconstitutional political exercise, such as a Senate-less constituent assembly, the people have the right to know. In any case, her silence is already an indication that she is not against con-ass and in fact is in all likelihood behind it,” she added.

Cayetano said the same principle should apply to her political plans, which reportedly includes the intention to run for Congress in 2010.

“Her silence only fuels further speculation that she is bent on holding to power beyond 2010,” said the senator.

Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio earlier said Mrs. Arroyo reserves the right not to entertain questions about her plans after 2010.

“After 2010, what she does is at least for now, a private matter. And this is something, as I said, she has not discussed even in her closest advisers in the palace, or in the cabinet let alone leaders of congress or media. Sa tingin ko naman dapat natin respetuhin yung privacy ng presidente when it comes to that,” said Claudio.

Claudio added that the president’s silence over the issue will also quell speculations that Mrs. Arroyo is behind the Charter-change movement to remain in power even after 2010.

Claudio reacted to speculations that the president will run as a lower House representative of Pampanga to eventually become the prime minister under a new system of government.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman Anthony Golez shared Claudio’s sentiments.

“Even if the president said nothing at all, she would still be at fault, so whether or not the president says something, critics will read it differently still,” Golez said.

Claudio said that should the president seek his advice on the matter, he would encourage her to keep her silence despite the noise created by staunch Cha-cha critics.

“Sasabihin ko sa kanya ‘di niya kailangan sagutin ito because you will not able to guarantee that the critics will stop throwing mud. Why expose the president further to vilification and to unfair speculations and criticisms,” he said.