VACC to file impeach rap vs. Ombudsman Morales 'anytime soon'

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) has said it will file "anytime soon" its long-delayed impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.

"Anytime soon, VACC will make good its threat to file an impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales for various political offenses," lawyer Manuelito Luna of the VACC's legal group said in an advisory.

Luna cited the possible grounds of impeachable offenses against Morales:

• Betrayal of public trust due to selective prosecution of cases
• Culpable violation of the Constitution and/or betrayal of public trust due to inordinate delay or failure to promptly act on complaints
• Betrayal of public trust due to sanctioning the filing of losing cases in order to shield former President Benigno Aquino III from liability for the death of the SAF 44 troopers
• Culpable violation of the Constitution in applying the Abandonment of the Condonation Doctrine retroactively in the case of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo in utter defiance of the Supreme Court's decision in Carpio-Morales vs. Jejomar Binay Jr.

The VACC announced its plan to file the impeachment rap against the Ombudsman in January.

Earlier in May, the group said they will file the impeachment complaint against Morales once Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez decides to either sponsor it or refer it to other lawmakers. However, it did not push through.

Sought for comment, VACC chairman Dante Jimenez said it took them a while to finalize their complaint. He said they needed to gather enough pieces of evidence to strengthen the merits of their case.

"Marami kaming naipon eh, kasi hindi naman kami basta-basta magfi-file kung mahina ang kaso namin. We've gathered enough, sobra pa nga eh," Jimenez told GMA News Online.

Asked if the impeachment complaint already has an endorser, he said, "Unahin muna ang merits, substance muna bago 'yang endorser. Kasi meron ka ngang endorser pero mahina naman ang kaso mo, wala rin."

"Pag finile namin 'yan, maybe next week, sabay-sabay na 'yan baka meron nang mag-endorse niyan," he added. —Ted Cordero/ALG, GMA News