House panel initially clears impeachment complaint

MANILA, Philippines - A HOuse panel on Tuesday initially cleared the impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by declaring it sufficient in form. The case, however, has yet to meet the more stringent requirement of substance or the weight of the charges in the complaint. Quezon City Rep. Matias V. Defensor, Jr. (3rd district), committee on justice chairman, said the complaint passed through proper procedures. "The complaint was filed before the office of the House secretary-general, referred by the Speaker to the committee on rules, included by the committee on rules in the order of business, and referred by the plenary to the committee on justice. That completes the requirement for proper initiation," he said in Tuesday’s hearing. Assuming that the complaint is found sufficient in substance, the committee will proceed to hearing presentations of evidence. A committee report will refer the case for the plenary approval or rejection. The complaint should be backed by one-third of the House for Senate trial. Mr. Defensor suggested the formation of a panel of five legislators from the minority and five from the majority to discuss the complaint’s substance. This was rejected by the minority. Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro A. Casiño, Jr. said that the proposal was not included in the rules of procedure on impeachment. "How can there be total transparency in the preliminary investigation when not all members of the House are allowed to participate in the proceeding?" he asked. Mr. Defensor said a committee vote today will decide on the mode of determining the complaint’s sufficiency in substance. The panel did not decide on whether to include an amendment to the impeachment complaint filed by businessman Jose P. de Venecia, Jr., public lawyer Herminio Harry L. Roque, Jr. and Iloilo Vice-Governor Rolex T. Suplico. The amendment was filed by columnist Manuel L. Quezon II and retired general Fortunato U. Abat. The motion for intervention sought to include the junked territorial deal with Moro rebels. Endorsers of the bill, which include party-list members, contended that the motion for intervention should not be treated as a separate complaint as suggested by some administration allies. Mr. Defensor said as far as he is concerned "the committee will not take note of the [amended] complaint." Meanwhile, the minority asked for the inhibition of congressmen involved in two cases against the President: bribery of congressmen and governors, and fertilizer fund scandal. "We don’t want the proceedings to get tainted," Mr. Casiño said. Deputy Speaker and Occidental Mindoro Rep. Ma. Amelita C. Villarosa admitted her involvement in the bribery case, and said she gave money to two congressmen — Manila Rep. Bienvenido M. Abante (6th district) and La Union Rep. Thomas L. Dumpit, Jr. (2nd district). "I’m not involved with the rest. There will be a point when my inhibition is needed. It will voluntarily come from me. I prefer to stay now and see how the proceedings go," Ms. Villarosa said. The impeachment complaint, filed on Oct. 13, charged Mrs. Arroyo’s with betrayal of public trust, bribery, graft and corruption, among others. Meanwhile, Malacañang distanced itself anew from the impeachment raps and opted to adopt a wait-and-see attitude on the issue. "Let us just wait for the action of both the House and the Senate. They are independent and let us wait how they will act on this. It is totally within their competence and mandate to act one way or another on the impeachment," said Press Secretary Jesus G. Dureza in a press briefing Tuesday. Despite the fact that the House is dominated by the President’s allies, Mr. Dureza declined to predict how the chamber will vote, maintaining that the lawmakers are capable of deciding for themselves. "Let us just wait for the results of the voting. It’s up to them. We are careful so that constitutional boundaries are kept. The House has its own boundary to keep and so are the Palace and the Senate," he said. — Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez and Alexis Douglas B. Romero, BusinessWorld