House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles and Rep. Douglas Cagas (NPC, Davao del Sur) urged the opposition to instead attend the crucial meeting and help the country move forward.

Nograles and Cagas directed their challenge to Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and key opposition leaders, saying that they should stop imputing ill-motives to the President’s decision to convene the council.

Nograles said the President’s decision is not a cry for help but a call to reach out to various leaders to help the country.

"It is a cry to stop destructive and negative politics. Our meeting at the start of the year is significant in uniting us together to chart common agenda for the country," Nograles said.

Nograles said the opposition has not been of any help at all except to fight with and seek to destroy the administration.

"The council meeting is an opportunity for them to contribute solutions to the country’s problems rather than just nitpicking versus the administration every now and then. It is a time to reconcile, get our acts together, and move this country forward. Let’s forget politicking and think more of our country’s interest so we can sustain our economic momentum and finally take off," the House majority leader said.

According to Nograles, the opposition should stop accusing the President of using the council meeting to blunt efforts to oust her.

"In the first place, convening the council is justified because the body has a mandate. Second, there is no need for the administration to feel insecure because it has shown its strength when it overcame political turbulence," Nograles added.

Cagas called on Pimentel to do his duty both as statesman and Senate minority floor leader to attend the meeting.

"My friend and compadre Senator Pimentel should take it his duty to attend the council meeting as his contribution to our growing resolve to address the various issues confronting our nation today. Our political leaders should shed their political colors and focus only on what they can contribute to our nation’s development," Cagas said.

Cagas said the opposition should show good faith in accepting the President’s invitation instead of accusing the President of using the council meeting as a ploy to give her administration a semblance of legitimacy.

"The legitimacy of the administration is presumed unless otherwise declared by the Supreme Court with finality in a judicial controversy. We should stop negative thinking which is counterproductive to our development," Cagas said.