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Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Opposition sees dismissal of Arroyo impeach raps
MANILA -- The House committee on justice is expected to kill the so-called sham impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Rafael Pulido against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Wednesday's scheduled hearing.
"It's very possible that they will go for a kill tomorrow (Wednesday). That is their original plan," said Cagayan de Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez.
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Quezon City third district Representative Matias Defensor, chairperson of the committee, said they would push through with the hearing even without the minority bloc as long as they can muster a quorum.
"Hopefully we can finish it within the week and we will proceed despite their (members of the opposition) absence," he said.
Defensor's panel upheld the complaint's form after rejecting the supplemental complaints filed by lawyer Adel Tamano of the United Opposition (UNO), Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico, and civil society leaders on November 5 aimed at strengthening the "weak" Pulido complaint.
Members of the House minority bloc led by Representatives Roilo Golez of Parañaque City, Teofisto Guingona III of Bukidnon, Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casiño of the party-list group Bayan Muna, and Liza Maza of Gabriela gave up and walked out when the justice panel shot down Guingona's motion, which sought the inhibition of congressmen who were at the "gift-giving" in Malacañang last October 11.
Meanwhile, the President's critics asked the Supreme Court (SC) to make a definitive ruling about the one-year ban of filing to spare the latest impeachment complaint from being thrown out just like in 2005 and 2006.
In a motion for resolution, lawyers of former Cebu congresswoman Clavel Martinez underscored the resolution's urgency after the committee junked other complaints.
The lawyers, led by Harry Roque, also cited the "supplemental complaint" of Suplico that sought to implead President Arroyo in his impeachment complaint against former Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., who is on terminal leave until February 2008.
"Without a definite ruling on the issues raised in the (Martinez) petition, the supplemental complaints are destined to take the path of the amended complaints subject of the instant petition," said lawyers Romel Bagares, Joel Butuyan, Roger Rayel, and Christopher Bolastig.
Once it dismisses the Pulido complaint for insufficiency in substance, the House justice panel will make a recommendation to the plenary for the dismissal of the complaint, an exercise that opposition congressmen likened to a "funeral wake."
The complaint's dismissal would shield the President from a legitimate complaint for at least a year because of the one-year constitutional ban on filing.
However, a vote of 81 is enough to reverse the committee's decision and send the complaint to the Senate for trial.
Since House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.'s relationship with the President is already damaged, he may rally his supporters and the minority to vote in favor of the complaint because this would thwart any impending attempts to oust him.
Baguio Representative Mauricio Domogan, a vice chairman of the Defensor panel, said the committee will have to ascertain that the Pulido complaint has enough evidence to prove that the President has committed impeachable offenses ranging from betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and others.
"I can't prejudge the outcome," he said. "It depends upon the members. Even without the opposition, we can't say that the administration (bloc) will not engage in a debate," he said.
Domogan said the President would be given 10 session days to respond before they make a recommendation to the plenary.
The panel is also expected to junk the separate impeachment complaint filed by former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and civil society leaders on Monday.
The Guingona complaint accuses Arroyo of betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, bribery, culpable violation of the Constitution and other high crimes which stemmed from various issues, particularly the canceled US$329 million National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with China's ZTE Corp., October 11 bribery in Malacañang, unabated killings of activists, and alleged massive electoral fraud in the 2004 presidential elections. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (November 14, 2007 issue)
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