FORMER President Joseph Estrada yesterday called on the citizenry to pressure President Arroyo into resigning, and immediately faced the prospect of his pardon revoked.

In another development, former Speaker Jose de Venecia virtually cut off political ties with President Arroyo by calling on her to step down, a reversal of his stand two weeks ago when he asked that she be given a chance to lead a moral revolution.

"I already called for her resignation. It’s useless for her to lead the moral revolution. She should step down or face a divisive and painful impeachment," he said, citing his speeches in Dagupan City Saturday.

De Venecia said the President wasted the opportunity to redeem her administration by failing to undertake a massive revamp and holding accountable those responsible for "bribery and corruption" in her government.

He said the President will have to face another impeachment complaint once the one-year ban on filing lapses in September.

De Venecia said the President should not have waited for public outrage and the Supreme Court’s intervention before canceling the national broadband project last September, four months after the deal was signed.

Estrada made the call in an interview with Al Jazeera, a foreign television network.

"I hope she will be enlightened that it is time for her to go to avoid bloodshed and violence. When the people are already beyond the limit of their patience you should respect them as a leader," he said in the interview.

Estrada was also quoted as describing President Arroyo as an "illegitimate president."

Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor said with his (Estrada) statement that Arroyo is an illegitimate president, "he is putting in question his own pardon."

The conditional pardon was granted by Arroyo last October.

Blancaflor said the DOJ is studying if Estrada’s call for the Armed Forces "as protector of the people" should rise against the government is a seditious remark.

He said the restoration of Estrada’s political rights does not give him the license to abuse freedom of expression and speak out against government.

Asked if government is worried about a possible backlash in terms of public outcry if Estrada’s conditional pardon is revoked, Blancaflor asked: "Do I look worried? What’s important is for statesmen to issue very responsible remarks..."

In a privileged speech Feb. 4, the night he was ousted as Speaker, De Venecia recited a litany of accusations of graft and corruption against the President. He said he has personal knowledge that she cheated in the 2004 presidential elections.

A few days later, De Venecia appealed to the people to give the President a chance in the face of the calls for her resignation.

But in another privilege speech, De Venecia revived his political attack against Arroyo saying the NBN-ZTE controversy is placing Malacañang "closer to the center of the firestorm."

The Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) described the Arroyo government as the best example of treachery and tragedy when it comes to illegitimate debts and betrayal of Edsa 1 ideals.

"The Arroyo government not only replicated the sins and failures of its predecessors but by taking them to new heights and proportions," the group said.

"To date, Mrs. Arroyo’s debt payment and borrowing spree are historically unrivaled. Her total debt stock dwarfs to shame the total debt accumulation of the three administrations before her," it said.