By By Juliane Judilla
Multi-sectoral group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) has pushed back against claims that calls for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte to resign are unconstitutional or part of a destabilization plot, asserting that such demands are well within democratic and legal norms.
In a statement released on November 25, Bayan said the call for resignation is “a perfectly legitimate, democratic, and constitutionally contemplated remedy” when top leaders lose the moral authority to govern. The group cited Article VII, Section 8 of the 1987 Constitution, which recognizes resignation by both the President and Vice President as one of the modes of vacancy that would trigger the constitutional line of succession.
“The framers of the Constitution explicitly anticipated situations where a sitting president and vice president may no longer effectively lead the country. They provided a peaceful, orderly mechanism for this eventuality,” the group said.
The group criticized the Marcos administration’s handling of the ongoing flood control corruption scandal, accusing it of offering “token resignations, secretive investigations, political cover-ups,” and attempts to downplay mounting public outrage. It argued that any progress in uncovering wrongdoing has been driven not by official actions but by pressure from the public.
“In any functioning democracy, when leaders can no longer guarantee honesty, competence, or accountability, they must step aside so the nation can begin to heal and rebuild,” they added.
Call for a National Transition Council
Bayan reiterated its proposal for the creation of a broad-based, civilian-led National Transition Council (NTC)—a temporary body that would guide the country through what it describes as a deepening political crisis. It emphasized that the NTC would not be a military junta but a representative civilian council that includes members of the genuine political opposition, workers, farmers, women, youth, the urban poor, national minorities, religious groups, civil society organizations, academics, legal experts, reform-oriented business leaders, and retired law enforcement officials with clean track records.
The proposed council would be tasked with three major functions. Mainly to ensure accountability by independently investigating and prosecuting corruption cases; implement long-delayed reforms, including the passage of an anti-political dynasty law mandated by the Constitution; and prepare for a clean and credible elections, with reforms to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and the establishment of a transparent hybrid election system.
Bayan stressed that the NTC’s mandate would be limited and time-bound, focused solely on institutional reforms, restoring public trust, and ensuring that the next elections are free from political dynasties, vote-buying, and manipulation.
‘Not Destabilization’
The group rejected accusations that the push for resignation and transition is an attempt to destabilize the government, saying such demands are “the people’s safeguard against entrenched corruption, dynastic rule, and systemic decay.”
“The Constitution anticipated this moment,” Bayan asserted.
“The people are now asserting their sovereign right to demand a government that works for them, not against them,” the group added. /PT
