By Manny Mogato
MANILA (Reuters) - More than 50 former top Philippinegovernment officials, including a one-time head of the centralbank, urged President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's cabinet toresign on Sunday over a multi-million dollar corruptionscandal.
"We call on all those who can no longer endure thiswrongful governance with its structures of evil and unmoderatedgreed: it is time to cut clean, it is time to go," read thestatement, signed by the ex-officials, including five formerfinance chiefs and former central bank governor, Jose Cuisia.
A Senate probe into allegations of $130 million (66.3million pounds) worth of kickbacks in a state telecoms dealwith China's ZTE Corp. has revived calls for the resignation ofArroyo and opposition groups are planning anti-governmentrallies next week and on February 25, the anniversary of theoverthrow of dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
But a spokeswoman for the presidential palace said moralein the administration was high.
"The cabinet members have no reason to resign," LoreleiFajardo said.
On Sunday, former president and democracy icon CorazonAquino joined around 2,500 people at a church service in Manilato honour Rodolfo Lozada, a former government official whosetestimony in the Senate inquiry revived the protests.
"I want all of us Filipinos to be united again. If we canget together we will also see a bright future for our country,"Aquino told the cheering congregation, who finished the masswith a protest song and clenched fists.
Aquino was elected president in 1986 after Marcos wasoverthrown in a people power revolt.
A presidential election is not due until 2010 when Arroyo'sfinal term ends.
TRUTH
Arroyo has survived three impeachment bids and at leastthree coup plots since coming to power in 2001 and politicalanalysts have said she will likely see out the remainder of herterm because she has the support of the military and the lowerhouse of Congress.
Scott Harrison, a risk consultant, said Arroyo's positionwas safe for now.
"It has to go a lot further than this before she hassomething serious to worry about," said Harrison, managingdirector of Pacific Strategies and Assessments. "Today Cory(Aquino) did not call for Arroyo to resign, that'ssignificant."
He said Arroyo's position would be only be jeopardised if asenior member of the administration called for her downfall, orthe powerful Catholic Church spoke out strongly against her.
But allegations of multi-million dollars worth of kickbackshave outraged many middle-class Filipinos.
"We are here not only to support Lozada, because we believethere is corruption we have to do something about it and letthe truth come out," said Antonio Luistro, a father of five, atthe Sunday's church service.
On Friday, around 10,000 people gathered in Manila'sfinancial district calling for Arroyo to go, the biggest crowdsince tens of thousands demonstrated against her in 2005 amidallegations she cheated in the 2004 election.
Opposition groups are hoping the protests will gathersteam.
"We are seeing a lot of the middle class, businessmen andprofessionals," said Ronald Llamas, the head of Akbayan, acivil society group. "In the past we had a hard time convincingthem to join us. Now they are voluntarily joining in."
(Reporting by Manny Mogato; Editing by Carmel Crimmins andSanjeev Miglani)
