PONTEVEDRA - Rep. Carlos Cojuangco (Neg. Occ., 4th district) Saturday said calls for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at this time are not good for the country.

Cojuangco, in an interview during the birthday of his mother Gretchen Cojuangco (story on page 3) at the Gallera de Pontevedra here, said the start of the new year should be a time to give the country a chance to move forward.

"I believe a lot of people in the last five years had a wait and see attitude with regard to business and now I think their attitude is we waited too long, regardless of what the government does we will invest in our country," he said.

However, with renewed calls for the president to resign, these people may have second thoughts about bringing out whatever little money they are willing to risk, he said.

Instead of calling for the resignation of the president, "why don't they reserve their non-constructive opinions until at least the latter part of the year," he said.

"Let's see what the first part of the year will bring first," he said.

He said a coup can only be triggered by broad-based mass demonstrations, otherwise you can say that calls for the resignation of the president are the opinion of the minority that maybe taken advantage of by certain quarters.

On the other hand, if calls for the resignation of the president are right maybe it has not caught on because the majority are indifferent because it is not the priority in their lives and they would just like to get on with their day to day activities.

It does not matter to me who the personality in power is, he said, stressing that everybody, not only the president, should get their acts together and do their part so we can all move forward.

On the recent escape from detention of five soldiers who joined the Oakwood mutiny. Cojuangco said "If you have very important personalities being held in a detention center and they can just walk out…that's lax security."

'NO PLANS TO RUN
IN NEXT ELECTION'

Cojuangco, who is a third-term congressman, said he does not plan on running for public office in the next election.

He said he is interested in getting into non-government organization work involving education, sports and improving livelihoods.

I am praying for guidance, he said.

Definitely I would still like to be involved in public service be it in the private sector or government, he said.

"I grew up doing things that hopefully helped the people a little bit and its hard to stop old habits, especially if they are good," he said.

On his mother's birthday Saturday, the congressman said he hopes to be a better son and a role model she can be proud of.

"I wish her continued good health and happiness," he said.*CPG

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