‘It’s the impeach process, not the outcome’ - Malaya 07.18.2006

SEN. Serge Osmeña yesterday dismissed the vow of pro-administration House members to junk the new impeachment complaints against President Arroyo, saying what is important is that the citizenry be informed of her offenses against the people and the Constitution.

"The truth has to come out no matter how hard it is to bring out," he said.

He said as far as he is concerned, the outcome of the impeachment process is immaterial.

"Kailangan lamang matuloy ang proseso na ‘yan," Osmeña said.

Osmeña said the people should be reminded of Arroyo’s involvement in the "Hello Garci" election cheating scandal, the fertilizer fund scam and the Northrail project.

He said he expects Malacañang to unleash all its pork barrel funds to derail the new impeachment process.

Last year, opposition congressmen alleged that Malacañang showered their administration counterparts with pork barrel in exchange for voting against the first impeachment complaint.

Rep. Luis Villafuerte (Kampi, Camarines Sur) on Sunday said that 10 of the 51 lawmakers who voted to impeach Arroyo last year have decided not to endorse the latest impeachment complaints.

One of them is Rep. Jacinto Paras (LDP, Negros Occidental), who has bolted the minority due to differences with minority leader Francis Escudero.

Paras has blamed Escudero for the failure of the impeachment case last year, saying most of those who did not show up were his "men."

Villafuerte said the House majority will dismiss the complaints in 10 session days after Congress reopens on July 24.

Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. yesterday warned that disenchanted citizens may take the violent route in removing Arroyo if the impeachment process is not pursued.

Pimentel said the impeachment case is still worth pursuing despite the decision of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) last July 10 against supporting the process.

"Impeachment is a recognized constitutional way of addressing the problem with a president. At least the minority congressmen and women in the House of Representatives think it should be done," said Pimentel.

Pimentel expressed disenchantment with the CBCP’s explanation that the impeachment process may turn out to be an "unproductive" exercise like what happened last year.

"I am not too sure that it was prudent for the bishops to say outright that it is not going to be a productive undertaking," he said.

Pimentel said he has been skeptical about the moves to impeach the President because he fears that "it would simply mean another round of vote-buying" on the part of Arroyo in her bid for political survival.

But it should at least be tried, he said.

At least a thousand members of the partylist Citizens Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) yesterday signed the fifth impeachment complaint against the President, along with about 30 members of Migrante.

Cibac party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva said 3,000 more Cibac members will sign the same complaint in the next three days followed by a group of retired generals led by former Defense Secretary Fortunato Abat.

Former Transportation Secretary Josefina Lichauco, one of the lead complainants, said: "It is not our intention to gather the required numbers of signatures but to make sure that the message is delivered to the members of Congress."

"We are hoping that they would allow the evidence to be presented and to let the truth come out. Numbers are against us primarily, but we are hopeful that they would give us a chance at the committee level," she said.

Escudero said they would move in the plenary to amend the rules of impeachment to allow them to present evidence in the committee on justice before it votes on the form and substance of the complaint.

"Pangit naman na mangyari ulit yung nangyari last year na nagbotohan ang mga kongresista na ni hindi man lamang pinagbigyan yung mga nagre-reklamo na ipirisinta ang panig nila. Ayaw na nga nilang ipirisinta ang panig ng akusado … payagan naman nilang mapresenta ng ebidensya ang mga nagrereklamo bago man lang sila bumoto," he said. – Dennis Gadil, JP Lopez and Wendell Vigilia