MANILA, Philippines?Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. Thursday cautioned House members against rushing the deliberations on two impeachment complaints against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

Belmonte said it would be a bad idea to fast-track the complaints filed by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan et al, and Akbayan party-list group et al.

He said the justice committee should not be pressured and should be allowed to deliberate on the complaints at its own pace.

?Let it be heard properly and let people be given the chance to explain. I don?t think fast-tracking it is [a good idea],? he told reporters Thursday.

Sufficient in form

The justice committee, chaired by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., voted last Wednesday to declare the two impeachment complaints sufficient in form, and set the next hearing for next week.

Both complaints accused Gutierrez of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution for allegedly failing to perform her role as head of the anti-graft investigating body.

Belmonte also made it clear that the Liberal Party, headed by President Benigno Aquino III, has no stand on the impeachment complaints, and doubted that support from the party would make a difference.

?If there is a party stand, I am not in favor. There?s no official party stand. Even if the LP has a party stand, it doesn?t help because the LP has only 81 members,? he said.

At the Wednesday hearing, allies of former President and now Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo moved to inhibit Tupas on the ground that the Ombudsman had ordered his father, former Iloilo Gov. Niel Sr., dismissed from office. However, Tupas overruled the motion and refused to stand down.

Belmonte also expressed reservations about any move to gather signatures from 90 lawmakers which would have the effect of immediately transmitting the complaint to the Senate.

Palace hands off

?I am against automatic endorsement. I want it to go through the process. I am against going to the floor asking the people to sign. I am for the process. Everybody is entitled to due process,? he said.

Malacañang is keeping a hands-off policy on the impeach-Gutierrez move.

Secretary Herminio Coloma, head of the Presidential Communications and Operations Office, said there was a separation of powers between the executive and the legislative departments that Malacañang respected.

?That is an independent action of the legislature and we respect the processes in the legislature, including the move for impeachment,? Coloma said.

?I think we should just allow the process to unfold,? he added.

He said such government processes are affected by many factors, including public opinion.

?We are all wanting to know the real sentiments of our people so we may be guided accordingly,? Coloma said. With reports from Norman Bordadora