Vice President Noli de Castro may take the oath as president even if beleaguered incumbent Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo refuses to resign, her spokesman said early Saturday.
de Castro spokesman Atty. Edwin Lacierda also told reporters that the Vice President approves the President's reported request for amnesty as a condition for stepping down after she lost the support of the military and the police.
"Arroyo is in no position to strike a bargain or make concessions. The only option is for her to step down," Lacierda said.
GMA Network has also reported that de Castro is already prepared with his new Cabinet, and is likely to find new heads for the critical departments of Finance, Trade, Interior and Local Governments as well as the posts of Executive Secretary and National Security Adviser. Some officials under the Arroyo government may be retained, the report said.
Arroyo and de Castro are negotiating through their aides for her resignation within hours, officials close to de Castro said. de Castro, the constitutional successor and opposition leader, was "waiting for a call from the presidential palace" where her three-member "transitional" team was holding the talks, the officials said.
Asked about opposition spokesman Roberto Pagdanganan's announcement that Arroyo had sought immunity from prosecution over corruption charges, another de Castro spokesman, Bobby Capco told reporters: "That's already passe."
Nearly the entire Arroyo cabinet has resigned and the military has withdrawn its backing for the leader after pressure mounted on him to quit following her alleged involvement in widespread corruption.
Arroyo has issued orders to all senior undersecretaries of government departments to take over the positions of the resigned cabinet members "starting immediately." Inquirer.net with AFP
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