President Aquino: Three impeachment cases. AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–The House committee on rules on Monday endorsed for committee hearing three impeachment cases filed by Makabayan bloc lawmakers, thus paving the way for the start of the first ouster move against President Aquino.
Justice committee chair and Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. said his committee would hold its first hearing at 9 a.m. on Monday to determine whether the three impeachment complaints were sufficient in form and substance.
The first impeachment complaint was filed by 27 activists led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. and Representatives Fernando Hicap of Anakpawis, and Neri Colmenares and Carlos Isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna.
The second case was filed by 15 youth and school group representatives led by members of the Youth for Accountability and Truth Now, and endorsed by Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon.
Betrayal of public trust
The first two cases accused the President of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust for his implementation of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) which the Supreme Court had ruled “unconstitutional.”
The third impeachment case was filed by Makabayan coalition president Satur Ocampo and 19 other complainants and was endorsed by ACT Teachers’ Rep. Antonio Tinio and Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus. The complaint took President Aquino to task for agreeing to a new defense pact with the United States for the construction of new military bases in the country, which is not allowed under the Constitution.
Tupas said the fourth impeachment complaint filed by Tinio’s party-list group Monday morning was not included by the committee on rules for hearing because it was submitted late. The first three complaints were filed more than two weeks ago.
Tupas said the ACT Teachers group would be barred from filing the same complaint for the next 12 months. The complaint centered on the President’s endorsement of the insertion of pork barrel funds in this year’s budget even after the high court had ruled the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) as illegal in November 2013.
But retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz acknowledged Monday that the impeachment cases against the President were merely “symbols of dissatisfaction and anger” over his incompetence in leading the country, and didn’t have a chance of prospering.
More symbolic than real
“It is rather clear that the impeachment cases are more symbolic than real because how could an impeachment case, whether it is subscribed to or endorsed by this and that congressman, ever prosper when most of them are beneficiaries of the Aquino government?” Cruz said.
Cruz was among the signatories of the first impeachment case against Aquino filed last month in the House of Representatives by Bayan.
The retired prelate added that should the impeachment cases against the President succeed in Congress, they would probably not prevail in the Senate because “most of the senators are also obligated to the Aquino administration.”
“Whether we like it or not, the impeachment cases are but symbols of dissatisfaction, symbols of anger and symbols of being tired of it all,” Cruz said.
He said he knew this when he signed the impeachment case. “I know it’s a numbers game so it has basically no hope, no chance unless more and more people go against Malacañang and, therefore, more and more of his allies will distance themselves from him,” he said.