Petitioning Majority of the Cabinet to declare the President unfit to discharge his duties
Petitioning Majority of the Cabinet to declare the President unfit to discharge his duties
Why this petition matters

Just the other day, July 31, the President explicitly stated that he was not joking about using gasoline/kerosene as a disinfectant for masks and for personal protection against Covid.
His prior dangerous remarks regarding this absurdity (last July 22), were immediately dismissed as a ‘joke only’ by the Presidential Spokesperson and Health Undersecretary (which erroneous clarifications were later on rebuked by the President himself). It is rather obvious his subordinates are scurrying, out of a sense of obligation, to do serious damage control, lest the public take the President’s utterances to heart (thereby posing more serious health risks), or perhaps to simply protect his image.
Be that as it may, they themselves must realize that what he says is not right for the country, or simply not fit for public consumption.
It is for the foregoing reasons (as well as the numerous other tantrums, disturbing behavior displayed by the President, which included as of late— long-winded tirades against NPAs when discussions were supposedly about addressing the quarantine to re-calibrate, and his utter lack of clear leadership at a time when the country needs it most), that we implore the majority of Cabinet members to take a principled stand for the sake of the country, and invoke Sec 11, Art VII of the Constitution:
" ... Whenever a majority of all the Members of the Cabinet transmit to the President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice-President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President. ..."
Admittedly, this may seem like an exercise in futility (since you are his appointees and presumably beholden to him). However, we'd like to believe that you hold these positions not just out of utang na loob, but because of a genuine sense of patriotism and desire for public service (and we see you, bright technocrats and professionals in your respective fields, squirm in extreme discomfort while our President makes incoherent and irrational statements that you later have to re-"interpret" for the public, all the while trying to discharge your sworn duties amidst this crisis).
On the other hand, you may have also seen the Vice President’s recent address, which was delivered with overwhelming clarity and sincerity, and which offered concrete solutions. By all indications, she appears to be more than willing to collaborate with the existing administration to flesh out these plans for recovery. A clip is attached for your reference: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C780y-J3TzY
Nakikiusap po tayo sa mga magigiting na miyembro ng gabinete na nagmamahal sa ating Pangulo, at may pagmamalasakit pa sa bayan—pahingahin nyo na po muna si Tatay Digong. Tila bang pagod na pagod na, at hindi na kaya ang napakabigat na tungkuling kaakibat ng kanyang pwesto. Siya na rin mismo ang nagsabi ng ‘inutil na ako...’ (kamakalian lamang nung ika-22 ng Hulyo).
Sa harap ng pandemya, kailangan natin ng kalinawan at klarong pag-iisip ng liderato; hindi yung seryosong takbo ng isip sa paulit-ulit lang na pagsugpo sa droga, NPA o ang kagustuhang mahatulan ng kamatayan ang mga masasamang elemento sa lipunan.
Wala po itong usapang dilawan, politika o anuman.
Kumakatok lang po sa inyong pusong nagmamahal sa Inang Bayan at kapwa Pilipino, at nananalig na mananaig ang ating pagiging makabayan!
Lubos na nakikiusap at nagmamahal,
Mga Kapwa Ninyong Nagkakaisang Pilipino na Nagmamalasakit kay Tatay Digong at sa Inang Bayan
PS
On a final clarificatory side note, lest prospective petitioners be deterred out of fear: signing this is neither a proposal to commit nor inciting to commit terrorism (as vaguely defined by the new law) since this merely appeals for activating a constitutionally-sanctioned mechanism, Sec. 11, Art. VII of the Constitution.
Moreover, on several occasions, the proponents of the Anti-Terror Law themselves stated that ‘activism is not terrorism; vigilance is not terrorism.' Surely then, respectfully and peacefully appealing to the majority of the cabinet, could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered an act of terrorism. Neither can any citizen's exercise of his/her constitutionally-guaranteed rights to express his/her opinions about our leaders, and to petition government for the redress of grievances (Sec. 4, Art. III of the Constitution) constitute cyber-libel.
Decision Makers
- Honorable Cabinet members of the Duterte Administration
- Concerned Filipinos