Alan Peter Cayetano on snap elections call: I'm willing to resign first

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano stood firm Wednesday with his proposal to conduct snap elections, saying he is willing to be the first to step down first as long as his colleagues follow suit.

Cayetano admitted that his call was a long shot, but emphasized that he would rather talk about "transformation and revival" instead of people power and revolution amid allegations of massive corruption in the bureaucracy.

"Pangungunahan ko, payag ako mauna. No problem doon… Mauna means lahat kami. Walang nagsasabing ikaw mag-isa. Kung mag-isa ako, hindi mangyayari 'yun," he said in a press conference. 

(I'll lead, I'm willing to resign first. There's no problem with that... But going first means we'll all do it. No one says I'm going to do it alone. If I'm the only one to resign, then that won't happen.)

"Ang sinasabi ko, mag-sacrifice tayo, hindi mag-suicide. Gusto nila ako lang mag-isa. No problem, 'yun ang gusto niyo, pero it will not solve the problem. The problem will have new hope if we do it all as a group. Kung gusto niyo mauna ako, basta't may assurance akong susunod kayo," he added.

(What I'm saying is, let's make sacrifices, not commit suicide. They want me to resign alone. No problem, that's what you want, but it won't solve the problem. The problem will have new hope if we do it all as a group. If you want me to go first, [I'll do it] as long as I have an assurance that you will follow suit.) 

Cayetano over the weekend raised the possibility of a snap election for the President, Vice President, Senate, and Congress, with no incumbents allowed to run for one election cycle, citing what he says is the loss of trust in the government.

Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III rejected the call, saying the country has “no constitutional nor legal framework for snap elections."

Meanwhile, Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia has said the poll body cannot hold snap elections without a law mandating its conduct. 

Malcañang has also called the proposal as Cayetano's "wishful thinking."

The senator also said he cannot force other lawmakers to resign even if he does so. 

"It's improbable, it's not impossible. I mean, kailan ka pa mag-iisip mag-cleansing, mag-clean slate, kapag sinusunog na ang bahay ng mga congressman at senador or may people power na or may communist or fascist takeover? So it's just a food for thought now," Cayetano said. 

(It's improbable, it's not impossible. I mean, when are you going to think about cleansing, when the houses of congressmen and senators are already being burned down or when there is people power or there is a communist or fascist takeover? So it's just a food for thought now.)

"Number two, ba't ko naisip 'to, ganu'n ako mag-isip na hindi mo puwedeng sabihin I'm willing to die for my country, I'm willing to sacrifice, etcetera. So, I don't sacrifice other people. Hindi pwedeng sabihin, 'Alam mo, para mawala ang problema, mag-resign na si President o mag-resign na si Vice.' Hindi. Pero I'm willing to volunteer all of us. But the question is, are you willing to volunteer yourself?"

(Number two, I proposed this because that's the way I think. You can't say I'm willing to die for my country, I'm willing to sacrifice, etcetera. I don't sacrifice other people. It is not possible to just say the President and the Vice President should resign to make the problem go away. No. But I'm willing to volunteer all of us. But the question is, are you willing to volunteer yourself?) — VDV, GMA Integrated News