Friday, January 13, 2006
Malacañang belittles new impeach raps v. Arroyo
PRESIDENTIAL adviser for political affairs Gabriel Claudio expressed confidence that the new impeachment case being readied against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo "would be flushed down the drain similar to the complaint filed against her last year by lawyer Oliver Lozano and some members of the opposition".
Claudio said the opposition had claimed that they have the numbers then and yet the complaint was rejected due to lack of support.
"That's exactly what they're saying during the first impeachment so we have no doubt they will accomplish the same result," he said.
Claudio even dismissed reports that new charges are being included in the complaint with new witnesses and pieces of evidence to back it up.
"I think the more they pad their complaint with charges, whether imagined or real, the more unacceptable, the more unbelievable their proposition for impeachment would become," he added.
The first impeachment case was filed by Lozano on June 27, 2005. The opposition tried to amend the complaint but it was rejected by the House, which started deliberations on August 10.
The House voted 158-51-6 in favor of junking the case
Claudio said two of the four then administration allies who voted in favor of the impeachment had severed their ties after the impeachment while the other two "will be dealt with by the party in its own good time".
He admitted that the new impeachment complaint had been mentioned during the meeting between Arroyo and former President Fidel Ramos in Makati City Wednesday night.
He however said it was not thoroughly discussed. (JMR/Sunnex)
(January 13, 2006 issue)
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