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Arroyo allies ready big guns to kill impeach bid

By Gerry Baldo and Charlie V. Manalo

11/21/2008

Allies of President Arroyo in the House of Representatives are fielding their best legal minds to cut short the impeachment effort in a showdown with the complainants who are still hoping to draw an ace in former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. on Monday.

Not taking any chances, the administration-controlled House committee on justice is fielding its top legal luminaries for the proceedings on Monday which would be the crucial stage for the determination of the sufficiency in substance of the complaint filed by Jose “Joey” de Venecia III, son of the former Speaker.

Justice committee chairman Quezon City Rep. Mat Defensor said six committee members were tasked with defending Mrs. Arroyo in the fourth impeachment complaint lodged against her in four years.

The list included Negros Oriental Rep. George Arnaiz, who will talk on the alleged betrayal of public trust, Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Simeon Datumanong on culpable violation of the Constitution, Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo on the controversial ZTE-NBN deal, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. on the alleged bribery to the Congressmen, Baguio City Rep. Mauricio Domogan on graft and corruption. Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman is tasked to deliver the summation.

Members of the House minority bloc, meanwhile, are still hoping De Venecia would “tell all” at the Monday hearing on the impeachment complaint against Mrs. Arroyo.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said De Venecia can redeem himself if he will go all the way in telling his personal knowledge about the controversial $329 million National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corp., the $500 million Northrail project, and alleged bribery in Malacañang when the House resumes its hearing to determine the substance of the complaint.

Defensor said that solons from the majority will present their views and opinions to convince other members that the President is innocent on the impeachment charges.

The minority will have eight presenters including the seven endorsers, Bayan Muna partylist Reps. Satur Ocampo and Casiòo, Gabriela partylist Reps. Liza Maza and Luz Ilagan, Anakpawis partylist Rep. Rafael Mariano, Bukidnon Rep. TG Guingona and De Venecia. Rounding up the list is Minority Leader, San Juan Rep. Ronnie Zamora.

“This impeachment needs a hero and JdV can be that hero. But it would all depend on whether he wants to be that hero or he wants to be the heel. He’s in that very special situation, so I hope he realize that,” Casiño said yesterday at a forum in Quezon City.

“(House Minority leader Ronaldo) Zamora says he’s the best witness because of his involvement. One who will speak against himself before speaking out against others,” he added.

De Venecia, earlier, in a press conference at his posh Forbes Park home, said that he is prepared to testify on the witness stand if called by the House.

He said that President Arroyo should be removed from the presidency adding that the time remaining in Arroyo’s term is still too long for the Filipino people to wait given the global financial crisis. He said the country must be led by a clean and competent government.

But Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor, chairman of the House committee on justice, said that De Venecia’s testimony will be allowed only after the panel determines the sufficiency of substance of the complaint.

“They can’t present evidence next week, this can be realized only after the committee finds that the complaint is sufficient in substance,” Defensor said.

Lawyer Raul Lambino, counsel for De Venecia, said the former Speaker will attend Monday’s hearing, but will leave on Tuesday for Jakarta, Indonesia for an inter-faith dialogue.

“He will talk about what he knows about NBN, Northrail and bribery. But he will leave on Tuesday for an inter-faith dialogue in Indonesia where he is the main Speaker,” Lambino said.

After the Indonesia trip, De Venecia is scheduled to go to Washington, D.C. to attend the book launching of his biography etitled “Global Filipino” which was written by Bret Decker, former editor of the Wall Street Journal.

During the forum, Defensor said the committee may vote on Wednesday next week to proceed with the junking of the complaint.

“Everybody will be allowed to speak out,” Defensor assured.

For the opposition, Casiño said they are still finalizing the list of eight or more debaters, but stressed that endorsers, including De Venecia would outright be among the debaters in favor of the complaint.

Except for Zamora and Guingona, no one else among the eight presenters from the impeachment proponents is a lawyer.

The committee is on its second stage which is the recital of facts after it declared the complaint sufficient in form.

Defensor said he is optimistic the argument will be finished by Tuesday, hence by Wednesday, he expects the committee to finally vote on the complaint.

“Our timetable is until Wednesday next week, we may decide on the sufficiency in substance. Whatever they wanted to say against the committee we will expedite everything because we have a lot of things to do in the Congress.” Defensor said.

Defensor added that the committee has decided to call off the Thursday and Friday hearing to grant the request of the Minority group asking for more time to study the 900-page impeachment complaint.

With the administration controlling the 66-member panel (49 regular members and 17 ex-officio members), the impeachment complaint is likely headed for the guillotine.

Civil society groups led by Joey de Venecia III filed the impeachment complaint in October 13 just after the one-year ban lapsed.

Meanwhile, complainant De Venecia III scored the the House Committee on Justice for dismissing earlier this week for lack of jurisdiction the Motion of Intervention Manuel L. Quezon III and ten others filed last November.

The younger De Venecia said it was unfortunate the committee dismissed the intervention as the said Motion “calls to task President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the willful and intentional violation of the constitutional mandate of full public disclosure on matters affecting the public interest; violation of the territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines; and violation of the principle of separation of powers, including the executive’s infringement upon legislative prerogatives, duties and functions.”

“The dismissal is not only a major disappointment for us but is a grave disservice to the nation,” said De Venecia III. “We were hoping that our esteemed lawmakers would have been guided by the Supreme Court ruling finding the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain as unconstitutional. We have hoped in vain.”

But even as the scenario looks bleak, De Venecia said they are of the belief that the impeachment case they filed is sufficient in substance; the presentation of evidence and testimonies from concerned lawmakers; which in the end would culminate in the call for the President to respond and answer the allegations against her.

“We still expect the unexpected though most have already written us off on the very day we filled the impeachment case,” he said. “We still aspire to see lawmakers following their conscience and voting for what is true and just.”

“It will be a tragedy for all of us if this impeachment case will be ‘killed’ just like the many others before it.”