Endorser invites opposition to boost Arroyo impeach complaint

The endorser of the latest impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday invited members of the opposition in the Lower House to amend the complaint. In a statement, Laguna Rep. Edgar San Luis called on members of the House minority to boost the case against President Arroyo, particularly on aspect relating to the national broadband project controversy. “I invite (the) minority leaders to amend the complaint that I filed in order to get to the truth of the national broadband network controversy… Neither a whitewash nor legislative technicality should hinder the truth on the NBN to come out," San Luis said. On Tuesday, former senator Ernesto Maceda said the United Opposition is set to file the “stronger" impeachment complaint against the President once Congress resumes its session Monday next week. However, House majority leader and Rules committee chair Arthur Defensor said they can no longer entertain a new impeachment complaint, saying the complaint endorsed by San Luis which was already transmitted to the Justice committee is now deemed “initiated" and that the one year ban is already in effect. As this developed, Davao City Rep. Prospero Nograles admitted that there is “gray area" on how the justice committee will consider a new impeachment complaint, saying some issues may even need a resolution by the Supreme Court. “I expect that this issue will reach the Supreme Court. There are gray areas on the impeachment process that only the SC can resolve," Nograles said. “First, can the private complainant (Atty. Roel Pulido) withdraw his complaint? And what if the lawmaker (San Luis) refused to withdraw his endorsement? In the event that the Pulido complaint was withdrawn, is the Justice committee allowed to accept a new complaint when in fact the first impeachment was already initiated and the one year ban is already in effect?" he added. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV