Crucial vote set next week

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MEMBERS of the House committee on justice are set to vote on Tuesday whether to resolve first "prejudicial questions" on the impeachment complaint against President Arroyo as pushed by the majority, or the determination of the complaint’s sufficiency in form and substance as demanded by the opposition.

Members of the majority maintain they should first determine which complaint should be tackled of the three complaints in light of the constitutional provision that only one complaint shall be filed in a year against a particular official.

The three complaints are the first filed by lawyer Oliver Lozano, the other filed by lawyer Jose Lopez, and the supplemental complaints to Lozano’s prepared by the United Opposition.

Rep. Arthur Defensor (Lakas, Iloilo) said the justice committee should settle the prejudicial questions first.

"Never in the political history of country has it ever happened that three complaints were referred to the justice committee when at that time there were no (impeachment) rules yet… Never in the political history has it ever happened that there were three complaints referred on same day, at the same time, with the difference of a (few) minutes…So we had to settle this before determining the form and substance," he said.

Defensor’s stand was supported by Representatives Victor Sumulong (Kampi, Antipolo), Rodolfo Antonino (Kampi, Nueva Ecija), Matt Defensor (Lakas, Quezon City), Isidro Real (Lakas, Zamboanga del Sur), Antonio Cerilles (Lakas, Zamboanga del Sur), Edgar Valdez (Apec party-list), Jesli Lapuz (NPC, Tarlac), Benhur Abalos (Lakas, Mandaluyong), Faysah Dumarpa (Lakas, Lanao del Sur), Raul Gonzalez Jr. (Lakas, Iloilo), Douglas Cagas (Lakas, Davao del Sur), Raul del Mar (Lakas, Cebu) and Monico Puentevella (Lakas, Bacolod).

Administration allies Representatives Constantino Jaraula (Lakas, Cagayan de Oro), Augusto Baculio (Lakas, Misamis Oriental) and Alipio Badelles (NPC, Lanao del Norte) took a different tack.

Jaraula said since the original complaint of Lozano deals with betrayal of public trust, only the amendments which support this ground should be considered.

Baculio said all the complaints should be consolidated "to constitute the collective wisdom of the majority and the minority" which he said would "acquit them in the eyes ourselves in the eyes of the people."

The House minority maintained that the rules of court clearly require the justice committee to first determine the form and substance of the complaint.

"Alam ng taong bayan na ang papel natin ay parang isang piskal o prosecutor na ang trabaho ay palakasin at di pahinain ang kaso; di itago ang katotohanan. Bakit naman parang lumalabas ay di kumpletong kaso ang ating titignan? Bakit di hayaang makapasok ang (amended complaint) e pinapayagan naman ito ng rules of court?" said Rep. Roilo Golez (Ind. Parañaque).

Golez called on President Arroyo to stop her allies from muddling the process.

"Madam President, this is the proper time, puwede bang sabihin ninyo ang inyong partido na huwag i-suppress ang ebidensya so that you’ll have your day in court? Umaamoy na po ang ebidensya, umaalingasaw," he said.

The opposition said it would have no choice but to wait for another year to file another impeachment complaint or to support the original Lozano complaint if the majority kills their amended complaint.

"Kung pinalalabas nila na sampu ang impeachment complaint, baka 10 taon ring magkaroon ng hearings kung hindi sila makikinig sa aming kahilingan. Kawawa naman ang bansa," said House minority leader Francis Escudero.

Members of the opposition see the eruption of violent street protests if the impeachment complaint is thrown out.

This was the sentiment of Sen. Panfilo Lacson and members of the House impeachment team in a meeting at a condominium in Makati last Saturday.

Present were Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo, San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, lead impeachment prosecutor and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, spokesman of the House impeachment team.

Lacson, in a press conference, said he and some congressmen have agreed to do their part to prevent violence from erupting if Malacañang’s allies in the House would kill the impeachment complaint.

He ruled out attempts to overthrow the Arroyo government if the complaint would be junked. "Wala naman illegal sa meeting, di naman kami nagpa-plot to overthrow the government. That I assure you," he said.

"Ang pinag-usapan namin doon, kung sakaling patayin ang impeachment, ang dapat ma-prevent ang gulo na magaganap. Believe it or not yan ang pinag-usapan," he added.

Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said the hand of the Palace is obvious in the delay of the impeachment proceedings.

He urged members of the House not to focus too much on details and technicalities since these will be discussed anyway once the impeachment complaint is transmitted to the Senate.

A group of doctors, health professionals, health workers and health science students joined calls for Arroyo’s resignation with a rally at the Welcome rotunda in Quezon city.

"Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo committed a grave injustice to Filipinos by conniving with Comelec officials to manipulate the results of the 2004 presidential elections. For the healing of the nation to start, Mrs. Arroyo should leave Malacañang, whether through impeachment, resignation or ouster," said Dr. Eleanor Jara, group spokeswoman.

"The Arroyo administration has created such an unfavorable situation that nurses, doctors and other health professionals are pushed to leave the country for better remuneration, better job opportunities and better working conditions abroad," she said.

Deputy majority floor leader Rep. Edcel Lagman said the presentation by the minority in a press conference of purported "evidence" to impeach President Arroyo is a blatant disrespect to the impeachment process.

"If the minority members were private complainants, they would have been answerable to the committee on justice for contempt by committing acts which degraded the impeachment committee," he said in a statement.

He said having submitted to the impeachment process, the minority must be bound by the result and must not deliberately preempt the action of the justice committee or create a contrived scenario to challenge or discredit the decision of the committee. – Wendell Vigilia, JP Lopez and Reinir Padua