A Catholic Archbishop continued his call for the resignation of Filipino president Benigno Aquino III despite threats by the Justice Secretary Leila De Lima to press charges against the nterfaith organization supporting the measure.
According to CBCP News, Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, of the National Transformation Council (NTC), said, “If they are truly following the law, then apply the law.”
The NTC involves some religious leaders from the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations, such as: Cebu Archbishop emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Davao Archbishop emeritus Fernando Capalla, Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo de la Cruz, Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, Naval Bishop Filomeno Bactol, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, and Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos.
The strong reaction came after the Justice Secretary said that the NTC is already bordering on criminal acts for its activities aimed to remove Aquino from the presidency.
Archbishop Arguelles said they will continue calling for President Aquino to step down and insisted there is nothing illegal about what they are doing.
“We, in the NTC, are not doing anything illegal,” He noted. “We are patriots defending our country, our Constitution and our people.”
According to news reports earlier, De Lima said that NTC-led forums and conferences “can already be contemplated as conspiracies relating to sedition, rebellion or coup d’état.”
The NTC earlier reiterated their demand for the President to resign saying it has now become “urgent and imperative.”
Many disappointed Filipinos are calling for President Aquino to step down before the end of his term in July 2016, claiming he has jeopardized the well-being of their nation, especially after a controversial operation in southern Maguindanao resulted in the deaths of 44 elite forces.
