| Opposition not rushing to file new impeach case vs Arroyo |
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| Friday, 24 August 2007 | |
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MANILA, Philippines -- Members of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives Wednesday adopted a “wait-and-see” attitude on whether to revive an impeachment case against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The impeachment issue arose in the wake of an admission by former Army T/Sgt Vidal Doble that it was a group of intelligence agents, including him, who wiretapped phone conversations between Ms Arroyo and former poll commissioner Virgilio Garcillano dealing with alleged cheating during the 2004 presidential election. Cibac party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva, a leading voice in the two failed impeachment cases against Ms Arroyo, said a third complaint was not in the minority bloc’s “priority list” at this time. “The impeachment option is not totally dead,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net. “But it is in the backseat.”Senior Deputy Minority Leader Roilo Golez said the opposition would first watch the upcoming proceedings in the Senate before committing on any plan of action. “As a matter of inter-chamber courtesy, I don’t comment on Senate initiatives. I will just closely monitor the proceedings in the Senate,” Golez said in a text message. Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim said the opposition welcomed Doble’s revelations in a video testimony presented at the Senate the other day by Sen. Panfilo Lacson. Rodriguez said opposition members in the House would evaluate the prospects for filing an impeachment case only after they got the results of the Senate investigation. Until then, Rodriguez said, it was “premature” to act based only on Doble’s statements. Not on agenda “There’s no agenda for the opposition to file an impeachment case. We don’t have affidavits, we have no first-hand information. Right now, there is nothing to study. Nobody’s talking of an impeachment in the House,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez and Lim said it was best to wait for the Senate to finish its investigation. An administration lawmaker cautioned the opposition against filing yet another impeachment complaint against Ms Arroyo. “It would be impractical for the minority to reuse the issue for the third time for another impeachment move ... now that the nation is focused on the fight against the Abu Sayyaf and licking the dry spell problem,” Baguio Rep. Mauricio Domogan said in a statement. Antique Rep. Exequiel Javier said that Doble had been bought to squeal on the matter. Dead horse “How much is Doble this time around? And why start the presidential polls too early? We cannot see any logical reason why Senator Lacson desperately needs to resurrect a dead issue except for his presidential ambition,” Javier said. Speaking before members of the opposition Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino party in Greenhills, San Juan City, Lim and Rodriguez called for an immediate investigation into Doble’s allegations. Lim, a former senator, said those who opposed the Senate inquiry may have something to hide. Lim said he wondered why "some people are afraid of investigations,” noting that a probe would be “two-pronged” as it would pinpoint the guilty and clear the innocent. Commend Doble Lim and Rodriguez lauded Doble for his bravery in breaking his silence. “Presumably, if you tell the truth nowadays, you will be endangering yourself,” Lim said.
When the so-called "Hello Garci" tapes came out in 2005, the opposition members of the House, along with private individuals and groups, filed impeachment cases against Ms Arroyo. The President’s allies in the House voted down the impeachment bid. Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer by Christian V. Esguerra & Kristine L. Alave |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 24 August 2007 ) |
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