ARTICLE SERVICES            Reprint this article     Print this article       Send as an e-mail     Send Feedback       Post a comment       RELATED STORIES   Solon won’t inhibit from impeach hearing Why Fil-Americans Tried to Defeat Obama Obama names attorney general--media GALLERY 1 2 3 4 5 Next   Zoom    Read Full Story Businessman Jose “Joey” de Venecia, Speaker Prospero Nograles, Parañaque Congressman Roilo Golez, Bayan Muna partylist Representative Satur Ocampo; and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, INQUIRER.net blogger and television host Manuel Quezon III at the impeachment hearing of the House of Representatives Thursday. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/BOBOT MERU Zoom    Read Full Story Businessman Jose “Joey” de Venecia, Speaker Prospero Nograles, Parañaque Congressman Roilo Golez, Bayan Muna partylist Representative Satur Ocampo; and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, INQUIRER.net blogger and television host Manuel Quezon III at the impeachment hearing of the House of Representatives Thursday. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/BOBOT MERU Zoom    Read Full Story Businessman Jose “Joey” de Venecia, Speaker Prospero Nograles, Parañaque Congressman Roilo Golez, Bayan Muna partylist Representative Satur Ocampo; and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, INQUIRER.net blogger and television host Manuel Quezon III at the impeachment hearing of the House of Representatives Thursday. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/BOBOT MERU Zoom    Read Full Story Businessman Jose “Joey” de Venecia, Speaker Prospero Nograles, Parañaque Congressman Roilo Golez, Bayan Muna partylist Representative Satur Ocampo; and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, INQUIRER.net blogger and television host Manuel Quezon III at the impeachment hearing of the House of Representatives Thursday. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/BOBOT MERU Zoom    Read Full Story Businessman Jose “Joey” de Venecia, Speaker Prospero Nograles, Parañaque Congressman Roilo Golez, Bayan Muna partylist Representative Satur Ocampo; and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, INQUIRER.net blogger and television host Manuel Quezon III at the impeachment hearing of the House of Representatives Thursday. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/BOBOT MERU Giving Chiz his due Ombudsman’s foes told: Accept defeat ‘House might adjourn without impeach vote’ Ombudsman won’t name solons with graft raps ‘No elections could lead to Melo impeachment’ 50% of flu victims in their teens, pre-teens CBCP happy with poll automation development De Castro unveils good governance agenda Prayer power for Aquino spreads to Internet CBCP head favors partial poll automation Automation firms say machines 100% accurate Hundreds of Moro rebels slain—military More Stories » News Make sure doors are locked when in cab Petty politics in Tacloban City Prayers sought for ailing Cory Aquino Vizcaya town gets taste of good governance Solon: P500-M demand did it Bernard Madoff gets 150 years in prison BoC to computerize valuation of customs goods DepEd owes GSIS P21.3 B Phase out PCBs by 2014 urged 50 journalists in Maguindanao held, freed News Ateneo student attacked by fellow students Caramoan lures more ‘castaways’ from Israel Palace makes a clean breast of Arroyo implant Estrada backs mayor in fight vs Arroyo son ‘Dream’ polls promised Arroyo doesn’t care for soldiers Maxene files fraud raps vs aide ‘AFP broke the law when it jailed reporters’ PAG-IBIG issues ultimatum to employers Blast near cathedral kills 5, wounds 35 Cops mull demolition of Quiapo shanties High court castigates abusive Makati judge   News Most Read RSS Wally Gonzales Photography Look for: Arlene Lacea Tel.No.: 890.5524 or 890.1318 Mobile: 0917.8492559 Tierra Maria Estates A fast-rising, fully-developed residential farming subdivision located in Brgy. Anilao, Lipa City, Batangas.

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 2) The impeachment complaints filed against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and a motion for intervention have been dismissed at the House of Representatives for lack of jurisdiction.

The ruling was reached by the committee on justice Wednesday after lengthy debates by the congressmen on the complaints by lawyers Guillermo Sotto and Oliver Lozano and motion for intervention by Manuel Quezon III, Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, INQUIRER.net blogger, and television host.

Lawmakers from the minority bloc who are backing Quezon’s motion were outvoted, 4 to 35, during the division of the House.

The motion for intervention sought to add the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) into the complaint filed by the group of businessman Jose de Venecia III.

The agreement had been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Baguio City Representative Mauricio Domogan and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman said the motion for intervention and the two impeachment complaints were covered by the constitutional provision on the one year ban, where an impeachment complaint could not be filed against the same official.

"Nomenclature cannot excuse itself to be free from the one year ban, we are not being technical here," Domogan said.

Representative Matias Defensor, chairman of the justice committee, expressed the same view, saying that the committee can entertain only one complaint.

Bayan Muna party list Representative Teodoro Casiño said the committee has the option to consolidate and amend the complaints, "just like in the court of law."

The committee on justice is meeting for the second day to determine whether the De Venecia complaint was sufficient in substance, a day after ruling that it was sufficient in form.

Defensor called the hearing to order at 10 a.m.

De Venecia III, son of former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., had said that the real battle would be in determining the sufficiency of substance of the complaint. Using its numbers, administration allies have junked the last three impeachment complaints against the President because of insufficiency in substance.

Anti-Arroyo forces were among those spotted in the crowd such as retired general Fortunato Abat, Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement, and former social welfare secretary Corazon "Dinky" Soliman.

• Solon won’t inhibit from impeach hearing
• Why Fil-Americans Tried to Defeat Obama
• Obama names attorney general--media

• 50% of flu victims in their teens, pre-teens
• CBCP happy with poll automation development
• De Castro unveils good governance agenda
• Prayer power for Aquino spreads to Internet
• CBCP head favors partial poll automation
• Automation firms say machines 100% accurate
• Hundreds of Moro rebels slain—military