Cabinet members of outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should submit their courtesy resignations “out of delicadeza” to avoid a revocation of their appointments by the new administration, a senator warned Thursday.

MANILA, Philippines – Cabinet members of outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should submit their courtesy resignations “out of delicadeza” to avoid a revocation of their appointments by the new administration, a senator warned Thursday.

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan made this call as he disclosed the phone calls that Arroyo had allegedly been making to her appointees, asking them not to resign.

Arroyo, Pangilinan said, was building a “phalanx” of loyalists for support and protection.

“May balita ako, impormasyon tayong natatanggap na hanggang sa ngayon si President Arroyo ay tinatawagan itong mga midnight appointees at hinihikayat silang huwag magbitiw sa tungkulin, kasama na riyan si General Bangit [I have news, information that until now President Arroyo has been calling these midnight appointees and convincing them not to resign their posts, including General Bangit],” he told a regular forum in the Senate.

Bangit is General Delfin Bangit, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“Hindi na ngayon Hello Garci, Hello Delfin na [It’s no longer Hello Garci, but Hello Delfin],” said the senator, referring to Arroyo’s alleged phone call to former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano to ensure her victory during the 2010 presidential race.

These supposed calls by Arroyo to her appointees were creating more problems for the incoming administration.

“So ngayon ang panawagan natin kay President Arroyo [So now our call to President Arroyo], please don’t create more problems as it is and please stop making these calls. And out of delicadeza, all these appointees should submit their courtesy resignation,” said the senator.

Pangilinan said the appointees should not wait for this issue to reach the court should the next administration decide to revoke their appointments just to force them to step down.

“Of course we have legal processes pero ang sa akin gusto pa ba nilang idaan sa kasuhan [but as far as I’m concerned, do they still want us to file a case]? Huwag naman sana [I hope not],” he said.

“So mas mainam na mag courtesy resignation, pag tinanggap e di pag kilala yun na talagang prerogrative naman ng bagong pangulo ang mamiling mga taong napagkakatiwalaan nya [So it’s better if they file their courtesy resignation. If the new President accepts it is simply recognizing his prerogative to choose people he can trust],” he said.

Pangilinan said the administration might issue an executive order revoking all the appointments but that the appointees might question this before the court.