By: Ambrosio R. Villorente
Are You In Favor of Dismissing the Impeachment Complaint?
With the 158 – 51 – 6 votes, the impeachment complaint filed against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was put to oblivion, was buried in the halls of the Batasan in Quezon City.
Did anyone bet for that numbers in either legal or illegal gambling? You better not for those votes disappointed a half of the Filipinos while it gave happiness to the other half.
The Philippines House of Representatives is composed of 237 congressmen and congresswomen who were each elected by the votes of the district which they represent.
A good example is our own Congressman Florencio T. Miraflores. He was duly elected in the May 2004 election after he got a very high majority of the votes. He is now representing the Lone District of Aklan to the House of Representatives. Since the legislative body of the Philippines is a bi – cameral, there is another House called the House of the Senate composed of 24 senators. They are elected at large with a fixed term of six (6) years with one re – election. The term of a congressman is three years with two re – elections.
One of the means to remove from office the President and Vice President and officials of the constitutional bodies like the COMELEC and Commission on Audit is by impeachment as provided in the Philippines constitution. The impeachment complaint must be filed with the House of Representatives. It will be accepted filed after the complaint is duly indorsed by any member of the House of Representatives. If the impeachment complaint is duly signed by one third of the members of the House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House is mandated to immediately transmit it to the Senate for proper investigation. The members of the Senate with the chief justice of the Supreme Court will act as judges and some congressmen will be appointed as prosecutors in the impeachment proceedings.
Sometime in July this year, Atty. Oliver Lozano filed an impeachment complaint against President Arroyo for culpable violation of the constitution with the House of Representatives. The complaint was immediately indorsed by congressman Rodante Marcoleta. After a few weeks, an amended impeachment complaint was also submitted after Mrs. Arroyo held her ground, did not resign her presidency despite the call of 10 of her former cabinet members, Senate President Drilon, Mrs. Corazon C. Aquino and others.
Since the impeachment complaint lacked the one-third signatures of all the members of the House of Representatives which is 79 signatures, the complaint was referred to the Committee on Justice being chaired by Congressman Simeon Datumanong.
The Justice Committee held a series of hearings. During the hearings, the committee decided to answer two prejudicial questions which were 1. which of the two impeachment complaints to accept and 2. is the complaint sufficient in form and substance? Finally, the Committee on Justice selected Oliver Lozano impeachment complaint but dismissed it for it was not a verified complaint and therefore was lacking in form.
The Justice Committee submitted its report on Monday, September 5, 2005 to the members of the House of Representatives in a Regular session. Those who agree with the committee report may vote “yes”, those who do not may vote “no”.
If the “no” vote will reach one third or 79 of the number of the members of the House of Representatives, the impeachment complaint will be transmitted to the House of the Senate for proper disposition or hearing.
And the result of the voting is “158 – 51 – 6” or 158 voted “Yes’, 51 voted “No” and six abstained in the nominal voting where each member was allowed to explain his vote in three minutes.
The “yes” votes could have been 159, but the “yes’ vote of our very own Congressman Florencio T. Miraflores may not be counted for at the time of the voting he was in California, USA dialoging with the Aklanon Community particularly with the Ibajaynons.
Those who believed Ms. Arroyo committed culpable violation of the constitution by cheating in the May 2004 election, bribed her way to the presidency has failed with the legal processes they have followed. They are now taking their cause to the streets. They may bring it to the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Do you agree with the committee report dismissing the Impeachment Complaints? Please answer. /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com
Are You In Favor of Dismissing the Impeachment Complaint?
With the 158 – 51 – 6 votes, the impeachment complaint filed against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was put to oblivion, was buried in the halls of the Batasan in Quezon City.
Did anyone bet for that numbers in either legal or illegal gambling? You better not for those votes disappointed a half of the Filipinos while it gave happiness to the other half.
The Philippines House of Representatives is composed of 237 congressmen and congresswomen who were each elected by the votes of the district which they represent.
A good example is our own Congressman Florencio T. Miraflores. He was duly elected in the May 2004 election after he got a very high majority of the votes. He is now representing the Lone District of Aklan to the House of Representatives. Since the legislative body of the Philippines is a bi – cameral, there is another House called the House of the Senate composed of 24 senators. They are elected at large with a fixed term of six (6) years with one re – election. The term of a congressman is three years with two re – elections.
One of the means to remove from office the President and Vice President and officials of the constitutional bodies like the COMELEC and Commission on Audit is by impeachment as provided in the Philippines constitution. The impeachment complaint must be filed with the House of Representatives. It will be accepted filed after the complaint is duly indorsed by any member of the House of Representatives. If the impeachment complaint is duly signed by one third of the members of the House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House is mandated to immediately transmit it to the Senate for proper investigation. The members of the Senate with the chief justice of the Supreme Court will act as judges and some congressmen will be appointed as prosecutors in the impeachment proceedings.
Sometime in July this year, Atty. Oliver Lozano filed an impeachment complaint against President Arroyo for culpable violation of the constitution with the House of Representatives. The complaint was immediately indorsed by congressman Rodante Marcoleta. After a few weeks, an amended impeachment complaint was also submitted after Mrs. Arroyo held her ground, did not resign her presidency despite the call of 10 of her former cabinet members, Senate President Drilon, Mrs. Corazon C. Aquino and others.
Since the impeachment complaint lacked the one-third signatures of all the members of the House of Representatives which is 79 signatures, the complaint was referred to the Committee on Justice being chaired by Congressman Simeon Datumanong.
The Justice Committee held a series of hearings. During the hearings, the committee decided to answer two prejudicial questions which were 1. which of the two impeachment complaints to accept and 2. is the complaint sufficient in form and substance? Finally, the Committee on Justice selected Oliver Lozano impeachment complaint but dismissed it for it was not a verified complaint and therefore was lacking in form.
The Justice Committee submitted its report on Monday, September 5, 2005 to the members of the House of Representatives in a Regular session. Those who agree with the committee report may vote “yes”, those who do not may vote “no”.
If the “no” vote will reach one third or 79 of the number of the members of the House of Representatives, the impeachment complaint will be transmitted to the House of the Senate for proper disposition or hearing.
And the result of the voting is “158 – 51 – 6” or 158 voted “Yes’, 51 voted “No” and six abstained in the nominal voting where each member was allowed to explain his vote in three minutes.
The “yes” votes could have been 159, but the “yes’ vote of our very own Congressman Florencio T. Miraflores may not be counted for at the time of the voting he was in California, USA dialoging with the Aklanon Community particularly with the Ibajaynons.
Those who believed Ms. Arroyo committed culpable violation of the constitution by cheating in the May 2004 election, bribed her way to the presidency has failed with the legal processes they have followed. They are now taking their cause to the streets. They may bring it to the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Do you agree with the committee report dismissing the Impeachment Complaints? Please answer. /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com
1 comment:
Oh well, we know from the very beginning that the impreachment for GMA will not succeed, it will only create chaos in the congress and senate and before we knew it, they will already be talking of the 2006 national budget. They are only spending the people's money while they are debating, arguing and exchanging unpleasant words which are actually nonsense. Pity the Filipino people who are hungry while they at the congress and senate eat with their heart's content and forget about why in the first place they are up there. Instead to alleviate poverty in the country, they are the one who actually putting the Filipino people in the poverty pedestal while they up there are enjoying like cats and dogs showing to the people that they are really uneducated and egoistic individuals.
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