MANILA, July 8 (Xinhuanet) -- At least 10 members of the cabinet of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who made up her economic team, Friday urged the president to resign for the sake of the country.

    The call was made at a press conference in a five-star hotel in Metro Manila after Arroyo asked her whole cabinet to quit to pave way for a fundamental political shake-up.

    "With deep concern and firm resolve, after a long period of reflection, debate and consultation, we are hereby submitting our collective irrevocable resignation," Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima read a statement at the press conference at the Hyatt Hotel in Pasay City.

    "The President can be part of the solution to this crisis by making the supreme sacrifice for God and country to voluntarily relinquish her office and allow her constitutional successor, the vice president, to assume the Presidency," he said.

    He also called Arroyo's "resignation was a legitimate constitutional option for effecting leadership change."

    "Given the crisis in the Presidency, this is the least disruptive and painful option that can swiftly restore normalcy and eventually bring us to prosperity," he said.

    The other nine cabinet officials who attended the press conference were Florencio Abad of Education, Teresita Quintos Deles, adviser on peace process, Imelda Nicolas of the National Anti Poverty Commission, Juan Santos of Trade and Industry, Alberto Lina of the Bureau of Customs, Emilia Boncodin of Budget, Corazon Juliano Soliman of Social Welfare, Rene Villa of Agrarian Reform, and Guillermo Parayno, commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

    Analysts said the call by Arroyo's economic team for the resignation of the president could have a deep impact as they were the ones in whom the confidence of international investors lay. Enditem