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Wednesday, October 26, 2005
'People's congress' to tackle charges v. Arroyo
By Jonathan F. Fernandez
MANILA -- Former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. is heading a citizens' congress formed to investigate alleged fraud and other charges against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Guingona, head of the newly formed Citizens' Congress for Truth and Accountability, assured Arroyo Tuesday of a "fair and transparent" investigation on the charges leveled against her, the very same accusations listed in the impeachment complaints that were dismissed by the House of Representatives.
The congress was created by convenors of the Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan (Coalition Unity for the Truth), an anti-Arroyo group, as an alternative forum wherein evidence against Arroyo will be presented and examined.
Arroyo was accused of electoral fraud, violation of the 1987 Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and engaging in bribery and graft and corruption, all of which were in the three impeachment complaints filed against her but dismissed by the House of Representatives last September 6.
In a press conference in Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan Tuesday morning, Guingona said the President will be given the chance to defend herself during the "trial" through a lawyer of her choice or by any of her aides in the government who can represent her.
He said the people's congress can only invite President Arroyo to the hearing because it has no police power to compel her to participate in the proceedings. He added that the President's right will be protected in the conduct of procedures.
"We will make the investigation fair and transparent as possible so the President has nothing to fear if she does not hide anything on the election fraud and other controversies confronting her," he said.
Romeo Capulong, one of the lawyers in the congress, said it is mandated legally to carry out a fact-finding inquiry wherein pieces of evidence on the various charges against President Arroyo would be presented and examined based on Article 13, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution.
The article which provides that: "the state shall respect the role of independent people's organizations to enable the people to pursue and protect, within the democratic framework, their legitimate and collective interests and aspirations, through peaceful and lawful means."
Capulong said the congress will adopt procedures to be used in its sessions and public hearings. He said the congress will gather, sift through and weigh evidence with the help of select members of the House impeachment team and private lawyers who will serve as lawyer-delegates.
Witnesses will also be invited to give their testimonies under oath regarding the President's cases, he added.
Capulong said the congress's findings and recommendations will be submitted to the public, particularly to religious groups, the media, education sectors, public institutions like Congress and the Office of the Ombudsman, international bodies and other groups, to guide them on their judgment.
Bukluran convenor Armin Luistro, president of the De la Salle University (DLSU), said they created the people's congress as an option to allow the people to examine, analyze and perpetuate the body of evidence against President Arroyo and determine her accountability as well as that of other public officials, after the killing of the impeachment cases in the Lower House.
Luistro said the dismissal of the impeachment complaints on "technical" grounds only aggravated the political situation in the country because the House's decision has denied the public the chance to know the truth behind the allegations against the President.
He said the failure of the constitutional process to resolve the political crisis reinforced the need for another venue where the people can continue their fight for the truth.
The amended impeachment complaint filed by the opposition will serve as the foundation for the work of the people's congress, he added.
The congress will be composed of 400 delegates coming from various sectors of society. The conveners of the congress will be composed of individuals known for their integrity and credibility.
A set of presiding officers or presidium will be composed of personalities known for their competence, probity, and fairness. A team of lawyer-delegates will serve as presenter and will help the delegates and the presidium examine the cases and pieces of evidence.
A congress secretariat will be formed to provide administrative and technical assistance.
The people's congress has set no deadline to finish the "trial" of the President's charges, but its conveners want to come up with findings and conclusions soon.
It will hold the first set of hearings on November 8, 9, 15 and 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The first two sessions will be held at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City while the other two will be held at the University of Makati. (Sunnex)
(October 26, 2005 issue)
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