Solon confirms House-NGO talk on impeaching Corona

Saying they are disappointed and frustrated by recent Supreme Court rulings, civil society groups and members of the Lower House are seriously considering a move to impeach Chief Justice Renato Corona. Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas confirmed this on Thursday, adding that talk about impeaching Corona became persistent two weeks ago, and intensified after the SC announced its decision nullifying the Truth Commission. Tupas, chairman of the House justice committee, said he was approached on separate occasions by civil-society groups, other non-government organizations, as well as his colleagues, to bring up plans of filing an impeachment complaint against Corona.
“May mga nagtangkang kumausap sa akin as chairman of the justice committee tungkol sa mga usaping impeachment [There were those who tried to talk to me as chairman of justice committee on the idea of impeachment]," he said in an interview with reporters. Tupas also said he “distanced" himself from the talks because he felt he should be fair as committee chairman. “I should not intervene with respect to prospective filing of the impeachment case especially against, let’s say, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court," he added. He said the disappointment and frustration with the SC started in September when it issued a status quo ante order that blocked the initial impeachment proceedings in the Lower House against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. “Pagkatapos na pagkatapos ng status quo ante [may kumakausap na sa akin] tuloy tuloy yan. Dismayado talaga sila sa ginagawang aksyon ng SC," Tupas said. (Right after the status quo ante order, people started discussing this issue with me, continually. They are really disappointed with the SC’s actions.) The lawmaker refused to name the groups talking to him but said some of them are new while others have been involved in the filing of previous impeachment complaints. “They are disappointed on how things are being handled by the highest court of the land," he said. Tupas said the House members who approached him are not members of President Aquino’s Liberal Party. He added the LP, where he is a member, still has no party stand on the issue. “Merong independent-minded na hindi kaalyado ni Presidente na disappointed sa pangyayari. Hindi ito maramihan ha, parang iilan lang na lumapit sa akin dahil siguro sa justice committee chairman ako. Hindi ito yung tipong maraming naguusap-usap. Ito yung tipo na when I attend the session someone approaches me at yun ang sinasabi," he narrated. (There are those independent-minded lawmakers not allied to the President who are disappointed with the incident. It’s not large-scale, apparently just a few who approached me, maybe because I’m justice committee chairman. It’s not like a big number sitting down to talk. It’s more like, when I attend the session, someone approaches me and bring up that point.) “I told them it is not my work to interfere with any prospective complainant to file an impeachment complaint. My work is pag nafile na ang any impeachment complaint sa Kamara at nirefer sa komite, dyan na ako mag-uumpisa [once any impeachment complaint is filed at the Lower House and referred to the committee, that’s where I come in]," he said. He, however, assured them that once the complaint has been filed, it will be the priority of his committee. “Since the SC is the final arbiter of any questions of law, I think it is fair if a case is filed against the Chief Justice, it will be given top priority and the committee will concentrate on that whether it will be dismissal of that particular complaint or would result into an impeachment," Tupas said. He said because of the disappointment of some House members, the impeachment complaint that will be filed will surely have endorsers. The endorsement of any House member is needed before the chamber recognizes an impeachment complaint. He said he made the confirmation after President Aquino himself admitted that he has been hearing some talk about plans to impeach Corona. 'Not aware of any moves' Unlike Tupas, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said they were not aware of any moves in the House to impeach Corona. Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III, on the other hand, said he has heard of “a lot of noise and frustration coming from civil society" but there is still no complaint filed against Corona. If there will be a complaint filed against the justices, “I would like to see the complaint and look at the grounds why the justices should be impeached," Tañada said. Ang Galing Pinoy partylist Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, son of former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, found the threat to impeach Corona “scary." “That’s quite scary ha. If someone does not follow the bidding of Malacanang, he gets punished for that. It’s not a revolutionary government, it’s a democracy," the young Arroyo told reporters. He reiterated that the decision of the SC has nothing to do with his mother. “So that has nothing to do with GMA and her appointees, it has everything to do with their flawed Executive Order. Ginagawa nilang showbiz ang gobyernong ito e. Kung nagkamali, kung saan-saan ibinibintang e [They’re turning this government into showbiz. When someone makes a blunder, they look for scapegoats everywhere]" he said. Mrs. Arroyo’s brother-in-law, Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio Arroyo, found the impeachment moves ridiculous, saying the SC decision was a collective decision of the ten justices. Daval del Sur Rep. Marc Douglas Cagas IV said there is no justiciable reason to impeach Corona. “What, among the grounds for impeachment, has qualified the Chief Justice to be impeached? It is not his fault that the Truth Commission was void ab initio," Cagas said in a text message to GMANews.TV. Akbayan partylist Rep. Arlene “Kaka" Bag-ao said their group has nothing to do with the supposed move to impeach Corona. “Akbayan is not privy to any plan to impeach the Chief Justice. The initiative might come from the GMA camp, in order to protect the head of the Arroyo 10 justices," she said. She expressed fear that a weak complaint could be filed against Corona to preempt a strong and genuine complaint. “They might file a weak impeachment complaint thus shielding the Chief Justice from impeachment for one year," said Bag-ao. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman scored President Aquino for engaging in name-calling by virtually labeling the majority justices as “deaf and blind" men who obstruct his crusade against corruption through the Truth Commission. Lagman said if the President is earnest in investigating and prosecuting former officials of the Arroyo administration, he can marshal the resources of the government in instituting cases before the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman, without need to amend EO 1 or to ask the SC to reconsider its decision. “Neither propaganda and sloganeering nor unlawful shortcuts must taint or detract a supposedly noble crusade against graft and corruption," he said in a press statement.—JV, GMANews.TV