4th impeach rap vs Aquino hits snag

Representative Neil Tupas, Jr., INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The fourth impeachment complaint against President Benigno Aquino III did not make the cut for this year’s impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.

The first three impeachment complaints were referred to the House committee on justice on Monday, or hours after ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio submitted a fourth impeachment case against the President for allegedly sustaining the pork barrel system in the 2014 budget.

Justice committee chair Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. said the fourth impeachment complaint, since it was just filed, did not reach the plenary in time for the committee referral.

Tupas said the complaint would need to be re-filed next year.

He said the first three raps filed to his committee would be consolidated as  single impeachment proceedings.

“It’s barred. There’s a one-year bar rule. It will not be considered after one year,” Tupas said of Tinio’s impeachment rap.

The first two complaints were about Aquino’s outlawed Disbursement Acceleration Program, parts of the stimulus program declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The third is over the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which seeks a greater US military presence in the country despite a constitutional ban on foreign bases.

The impeachment raps were endorsed by militant lawmakers Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate, Anakpawis Rep Fernando Hicap, Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon, and Gabriela Rep. Emmi De Jesus.

Meanwhile, the fourth impeachment complaint accused Aquino of sustaining the outlawed Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in the 2014 budget. The SC declared as unconstitutional the congressional pork at the height of a corruption scandal under the alleged scheme of Janet Lim-Napoles

The complainants accused Aquino of the impeachable offenses of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

In the complaint, the petitioners accused Aquino of allowing a total of P20.76 billion of realigned funds in the Departments of Health, Labor and Employment, Public Works and Highways, Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

“These programs were not among those in the proposed budget of the President for 2014. Neither were they deliberated upon the House of Representatives… (These) were added only after the General Appropriations Bill went past the Lower House and the promulgation of the (Supreme Court ruling) , when it became glaring that the retention of PDAF will not only be unpopular but illegal,” the complaint read.

The petitioners also said that in the Senate, at least P1.794 billion were realigned as “pork” in a similar manner.

In an interview, Tinio cited as their evidence the recorded meetings with Commission on Higher Education chairperson Patricia Licuanan and Department of Health Undersecretary Janet Garin who both said on record that lawmakers may recommend scholarship and health projects using the budget allotted to these agencies.

Tinio said the recordings of these meetings are in a CD he would submit with the impeachment complaint.

The complainants are: Tinio, Bienvenido Lumbera (National Artist for Literature),  Cynthia N. Lumbera, Benjamin G. Valbuena (Chairperson of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines), Francisca L. Castro (Secretary General of ACT Philippines), Vladimer A. Quetua (Deputy Secretary General of ACT Philippines), Dr. Priscilla D. Ampuan (President of Quezon City Public School Teachers Association),  Joselyn F. Martinez (Secretary of the ACT National Capital Region-Union), Louie L. Zabala (President of the Manila Public School Teachers Association), Cleve Kevin Robert V. Arguelles (Spokesperson of ACT State Universities and Colleges), Veronica L. Gregorio (Local Universities and Colleges Representative of ACT State Universities and Colleges), Felix Pariñas (Former National President of All-UP Workers Union), Dr. Ramon Guillermo (National President of All UP Workers Union), Dr. Gerardo Lanuza (Chairperson of Congress of Teachers and Educators for Nationalism and Democracy), Prof. Sarah Jane Raymundo (Convenor of UP Kilos Na), and Emmanuel Leyco (President of Asian Institute of Management Union).

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