President Arroyo’s allies in the House of Representatives on Thursday dismissed as unnecessary the call of former President Fidel V. Ramos for her to resign to level the playing field in the congressional race in the second district of Pampanga.

Lakas-Kampi-CMD Representatives Danilo Suarez of Quezon and Pedro Romualdo of Camiguin also rejected Ramos’ position that the House bid of Mrs. Arroyo would demean the stature of the presidency.

Romualdo, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, said the Chief Executive need not to resign, saying there is no law requiring her to do so.

“Secondly, it’s not her fault if she appears the heavy favorite for the post because she has done much for her cabalens even before she became President. It’s unfair to say she might take advantage of government resources or her present position for her election,” Romualdo said.

He urged Ramos to just allow the people of Pampanga to decide whether to vote or not for Mrs. Arroyo.

“They are the ultimate judge if she deserves to be their representative,” Romualdo said.

He said Mrs. Arroyo’s congressional bid does not demean the presidency as claimed by Ramos.

“President Arroyo’s House bid in fact shows the versatility of the Chief Executive to assume different roles to continue serving the country and the Filipino people,” he said.

For his part, Suarez said he doubts if Mrs. Arroyo will take advantage of her office to ensure her victory given the fact that she is known for working hard in the past elections to win public support.

“She won in the senatorial and presidential elections because she took the campaign seriously. Come campaign period, we will see her work hard again to reach out to voters and relay her agenda and platform for them. Her present position will not be the people’s gauge in supporting or rejecting her, but it will be her plans for them,” Suarez pointed out.

Malacanang also said President Arroyo has no dark motives in seeking a congressional post and that she is ready to face any lawsuits from alleged offenses when she steps down as president next year.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde fended off speculations the President was lusting for power and is merely seeking immunity from suits when she filed her candidacy as congresswoman.

“The President merely wants to continue serving the people, although in a diminished role. If the President is elected to Congress, she will continue serving the whole nation, in the bills she crafts or helps craft in consultation with her peers in that august body,” he added.

Remonde said groups claiming the President is out to get immunity from possible lawsuits are either ignorant of the law "or they pander to those who are ignorant of the law”. He said Congress does not extend immunity to its members.

“So, if anybody has a case against the President, let him file the proper case in court. That will give the President a chance to defend herself in a court of law, where the rule of evidence is the norm, not innuendoes and baseless allegations,” he added.

On allegations the President’s is salivating to become House Speaker and then Prime Minister in case of a shift to parliamentary government, Remonde echoed the statements of Bishop Rodolfo Beltran of Bontoc-Lagawe that this was purely conjecture.

“In any case, the members of Congress will have to decide the matter,” Remonde said. He noted that Beltran has advised the public never to presume evil or malice in people’s every move, like the President’s plan to run for Congress.

Bishop Emilio Marquez of Lucena also claimed that in a democracy, “the will of the people should prevail, not the prejudices of people,” according to Remonde.
Administration ally Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago also defended Mrs. Arroyo’s House bid.

“For me, no brainer. She can run. The law allows her to run. Whether it is ethical or moral, is a question of opinion of which is best presented to the people,’’ Santiago, a former constitutional law professor, said.

“If she fails, she is going to be punished by the entire generation of Filipinos. If she wins, she’d make history. Ako, gusto ko tao gumawa ng history kaya I prevented Fidel Ramos from making history,’’ she said.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, a former president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), said it is better that the legal question arising from the President’s decision be decided by the Supreme Court.

“As a lawyer, I have my doubts, but it’s good in a sense that the president did what she did so that the matter will go to the Supreme Court,’’ he said.

Enrile said he also expected the High Tribunal to make a ruling on the issue of whether or not former President Estrada could still run.

Senator Joker Arroyo said also nothing is wrong if Pres Arroyo joined the political race again.

“There’s nothing we can do to stop her from running at the lower house because the Constitution does not forbid it,” the senator said, adding that it is far-fetched that Mrs. Arroyo could push for charter change once elected to Congress.

“If she did not succeed to have charter change when she is the President, how can she succeed if she is in a lower position?” he asked.

On the other hand, Senator Pia S. Cayetano slammed Malacañang’s admission that charter change will be on top of Mrs. Arroyo’s agenda in Congress.

“Our suspicions have been confirmed. Malacañang’s admission that the future ex-President will actually push for Cha-cha as a member of the House betrays Mrs. Arroyo’s earlier statement that she supposedly wants to continue serving her provincemates in deciding to run for Congress,” said Cayetano, head of the Senate Committee on Social Justice.

“If this is really the underlying reason for Mrs. Arroyo’s congressional bid, then why the need to run for Congress? She could just lobby the House and Senate as a private citizen, and not be accused of conflict of interest,” she added. (With reports from Mario Casayuran and Rolly Carandang)