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Saturday, November 10, 2007
SC action urged on supplemental impeach raps
MANILA -- Lawyers of a Cebu lawmaker are asking the Supreme Court (SC) to rule on the validity of multiple impeachment complaints against a president and when an impeachment complaint is deemed filed.
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In a motion, Cebu Representative Clavel Martinez urged the high court to rule whether the House of Representatives can turn down supplemental impeachment complaints especially when one of them is filed to take advantage of the constitutional one-year ban on the filing of impeachment raps.
"Considering the paramount public interest in the instant petition, that is, the denial of the public's constitutional right to hold accountable a president accused of wrongdoing while in public office, the Supreme Court should not shun its responsibility to eradicate whatever obstruction that is preventing the public from the exercise of their rights," she said through lawyer Romel Bagares.
Martinez had petitioned the SC in connection with Congress' decision to dismiss a "weak" impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by private lawyer Oliver Lozano.
The weak complaint had effectively prevented the filing of a more substantive complaint against Arroyo, prompting Palace critics to accuse Lozano of abusing the rules by filing preemptive impeachment raps to protect the President.
Martinez's lawyer, citing the recent filing of an impeachment complaint by lawyer Roel Pulido, said "with this (Pulido complaint) factual background, it is clear the issues that have been raised in the instant petition (on the Lozano complaint) have resurfaced."
The petition filed by Martinez is asking the SC to rule whether the House abused its discretion when it ratified by a vote of 158-51 the decision of the committee on justice to treat a subsequent amended complaint as separate and distinct from the original Lozano complaint.
The House in plenary also ratified the recommendation of the committee on justice, by a majority vote, to dismiss the amended complaint to Lozano's complaint as a prohibited pleading under the Constitution.
In Pulido's case, he filed an impeachment complaint against President Arroyo at the House of Representatives last October 5.
Later, Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico--joined by Harry Roque, Angelito Banayo and Josefina Lichauco--filed a supplemental impeachment complaint because of occurrences or events that have happened since the filing of the impeachment complaint against former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. It is also seeking to add a new respondent, President Arroyo.
United Opposition spokesman Adel Tamano also filed a supplemental impeachment complaint against Arroyo.
House Secretary General Roberto Nazareno, in a letter dated November 5, returned the supplemental complaints. (ECV/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (November 10, 2007 issue)
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