Monday, November 26, 2007 House to junk impeach complaint: Speaker
THE House of Representatives will officially dismiss on Monday the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Roel Pulido against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now assured that no other impeachment complaint will be brought against her within one year, said Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.
De Venecia said the committee report will be presented to the plenary to formalize the junking of the complaint, which the House committee on justice found to be insufficient in substance.
"We will formalize the voting on the approval of the (justice) committee report finally dismissing the complaint on Monday," de Venecia said.
Last week, the plenary voted unanimously junking the motion of Bayan Muna party-list Representative Satur Ocampo asking the House secretary general to accept the "stronger" impeachment complaint filed by civil society groups against the President.
The complaint was endorsed by Ocampo and fellow militant Representatives Teodoro Casiño (Bayan Muna), Crispin Beltran (Anakpawis) and Liza Maza and Luzviminda Ilagan of Gabriela.
On motion of House Deputy Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, the plenary unanimously decided to return the complaint filed by civil society to the petitioners.
Meanwhile, three pro-administration lawmakers said members of the House coalition are united in junking the impeachment complaint that, they said, cannot move forward because it lacks substance and the necessary number of endorsers.
"We may have some differences in the coalition, but we are united in junking this (impeachment) complaint," said Isabela Representative Rodito Albano of Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), the political party of President Arroyo.
Representatives Antonio Cerilles of Zamboanga del Sur and Eduardo Zialcita of Parañaque, for their part, said any attempt by anti-Arroyo forces to exploit the disagreements in the coalition will never succeed.
"We have always shown our solidarity in fighting the ouster attempts against the President whether through impeachment or calls for resignation," they said. (Sunnex)
