Palace claims 170 congressmen signed to crush impeach bid

First posted 01:13am (Mla time) Aug 04, 2005
By Christine O. Avendaño, Philip C. Tubeza
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the Aug. 4, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

MALACAÑANG appears to have the numbers to prevent the impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from being sent to the Senate for trial.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita yesterday said he was told that 170 members of the House of Representatives had signed a paper that they were against Ms Arroyo's impeachment.

Ermita said the information had given the Palace some assurance that the impeachment complaint would die a natural death in the House.

At a news briefing, Ermita said that if 170 lawmakers were against the impeachment complaint, 66 House members would be left to endorse the complaint, not enough to get the required votes of 79.

House Speaker Jose de Venecia gave a bigger number of House members against the impeachment complaint.

In a television talk show the other night, De Venecia said he and Antipolo City Representative Ronaldo Puno had obtained the "firm" commitments of 189 of the 236-member House to prevent the complaint from being sent to the Senate, "whatever the evidence" to be presented before the justice committee.

Only 41 House members, mostly from the minority, have so far endorsed the impeachment case against the President. For the Articles of Impeachment to be transmitted to the Senate, these must be supported by 79 legislators or one-third of the members of the House.

The 41 lawmakers filed an amended impeachment case in the House on July 25, accusing Ms Arroyo of cheating and bribing her way to victory in the 2004 presidential election, benefiting from gambling payoffs, hiding real estate in the United States and complicity in the murder of activists.

House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles said the number that De Venecia had cited was only a "hypothetical calculation" and not a firm estimate of how the majority would vote.

"The number . . . was based on the existing signatures in the complaint as endorsed to the House committee on justice," Nograles said.

"We don't have a real or firm fix on the outcome of this exercise. We will probably know only upon the plenary voting on the justice committee rules based on the approved impeachment rules," he said.

Military intervention

A former national security adviser, however, warned Malacañang that the military might intervene if the administration used its overwhelming numbers in the House to junk the impeachment complaint.

Parañaque Representative Roilo Golez, former House defense committee chair, said the military was "keenly watching" how the administration's allies in the House would handle the complaint.

"Malacañang cannot be too sure about the military which I know is keenly watching. The President faces a serious moral issue and I know the military is sensitive to grave moral issues such as accusations that the election has been stolen," Golez said in a statement.

He said the political leadership should exert all efforts to keep the military in the barracks instead of being provoked into joining the political fray by a subverted impeachment process.

Ermita said part of the preparations of the executive department for the impeachment case, which is set to begin on Aug. 10 in the House, included "monitoring the developments in the House, especially the number of congressmen who might sign for the forwarding of the impeachment to the Senate."

"We're (also) looking at the list of congressmen who will stand by the President ... by not signing the impeachment complaint," he said.

Palace taps Nachura

The President has a team of lawyers preparing for her defense.

Ermita and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said they had engaged the services of former Western Samar Representative Antonio Eduardo Nachura to serve as resource person and spokesperson on questions about the case.

Bunye said Nachura would "assist us in explaining the impeachment process, and to speak for and in behalf of the administration."

Contacted by phone, Nachura said he would serve as a resource person on the impeachment process for Malacañang, with his experience in past impeachment cases filed in the House.

Now teaching law in San Beda College and Arellano University, Nachura was one of the prosecutors in the impeachment case against then President Joseph Estrada.

He was a member of the House when the impeachment cases filed against former Ombudsman Aniano Desierto, former Election Commissioner Luzviminda Tancangco and Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide were deliberated in the House.

Asked to comment on Ermita's disclosure that 170 congressmen were committed to go against Ms Arroyo's impeachment, Nachura said the challenge then for the executive department was to "keep (them) intact in order that the impeachment complaint would not be supported (by the required number) of 79 congressmen."

"If the complaint fails to get 79 congressmen either at the level of the House committee on justice or at the plenary, then the impeachment will die in the House," Nachura said.

Security repercussions

Golez said a public perception that Malacañang and the majority in the House were subverting the impeachment process would have grave political and security repercussions.

"Eighty percent of Metro Manilans, roughly 8 million people, are in favor of the President's removal by resignation or impeachment. They are pinning their hopes on a just and fair impeachment process," he said.

Golez said surveys also showed that 7 percent of the country's population, roughly 700,000 in Metro Manila and close to 6 million all over the country, wanted the President removed by "whatever means."

"That is a very significant number in favor of the other means of removal, including extra-constitutional. Only the vast majority of the people, who continue to have faith in the constitutional process, are holding the seven percent in check," he said.

"If the faith in the constitutional process of those 80 percent in Metro Manila is eroded enough, the extra-constitutionalists might prevail and all hell could break loose," he added.

Phone campaign

For his part, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Satur Ocampo said more lobby work was needed to persuade lawmakers from both the minority and the majority to sign the impeachment complaint.

"We call on people's organizations, non-government organizations and concerned citizens to come out, contact congresspersons and help us in securing at least 79 signatures to give way to Ms Arroyo's immediate trial at the Senate," Ocampo said.

He said anyone could call 9315001, the House trunk line, to be connected to his or her representative's office.

"Send them a clear message that you want Ms Arroyo impeached and that your representatives sign the impeachment complaint," Ocampo said.

Also yesterday, student leaders and members of a militant youth group trooped to the House.

Members of the Youth Demanding Arroyo's Removal (Youth Dare) tied white ribbons at the offices of pro-impeachment lawmakers.

They included student leaders from the University of the Philippines in Diliman and Manila, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Adamson University, Philippine Christian University, Trinity College and officers of the National Union of Students of the Philippines and the College Editors Guild of the Philippines.

"We believe Ms Arroyo committed impeachable offenses. As future leaders and responsible citizens of this nation, we only want the highest standards for public servants, especially for the President," said Raymond Palatino, Youth Dare spokesperson.

In an open letter to lawmakers, the UP Diliman Student Council also called for the President's immediate removal or resignation.