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Saturday, July 23, 2005
Lawmaker bares P5M bribe to shun impeachment
By Grecar Nilles
MANILA -- A party-list lawmaker on Friday charged that the administration is offering P5 million to congressmen to vote against the impeachment of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo but his colleagues in the ruling coalition vehemently denied the claim.
At a news conference Friday, Representative Eulogio "Amang" Magsaysay of the Alliance of Volunteer Educators said he was offered P500,000 in cash, some P4.5 million worth of pork barrel and an extra congressional seat for his party list group, in exchange for his agreement not to support the impeachment complaint that will be filed Monday.
"Three of my colleagues from Lakas and the Liberal Party and two...people close to Malacañang approached me this week and advised me to be practical and accept their offers in exchange for the withdrawal of my signature in favor of the impeachment (complaint) against the President," Magsaysay said, refusing to identify who made the offer.
House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles immediately denied Magsaysay's claim.
"He damaged the House with his statements," Nograles said. "There are no such authorized offers made to anyone by the majority. Impeachment is a judgment call on the part of every member of the House."
He added: "We can't offer seats in Congress. Seats are won through elections, not by negotiations."
Meanwhile, Quezon Representative Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III of the LP said Malacañang and House leaders were employing a "soft" approach to dissuade Liberal lawmakers from voting for impeachment.
"With the severe budget crisis, I cannot imagine where the Palace or the Department of Budget and Management will get the money to fund the promises they are making to the congressmen," Tañada said. He refused to say how much he was offered.
For his part, Magsaysay, who belongs to the ruling coalition, said he remains committed to the majority and will accept the consequences of his decision to go against it.
"I was disillusioned after they approached me. Most of them are very close to me. But my conscience dictates that I support the cause of the minority to pursue the impeachment complaint against President Arroyo," Magsaysay said.
"They offered me money, pork barrel funds and another congressional seat...but for the wrong reasons. We are after the truth and what is right."
Magsaysay said he could only surmise that congressmen whose position and influence were greater than his would be offered more.
In the same news conference, opposition lawmakers said Malacañang has released the special allotment release order for funding pork barrel projects.
"Malacañang is duty-bound to release the funds for our districts and these projects are long overdue, but they are using this now to court our colleagues to turn a blind eye and ignore the impeachment process," said House Deputy Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano.
Cayetano also said the Palace was using party whips in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to convince lawmakers to help defeat the impeachment.
For her part, South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Antonio-Custodio said the minority is confident it can muster the 79 votes required to transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial.
Cayetano also said five new appointees - two in the Bureau of Immigration and three in the Department of Justice - were appointed by the President upon the recommendation of congressmen who demanded the positions in exchange for their support. (Manila Standard Today)
(July 23, 2005 issue)
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