Reformists officers in the police and military yesterday sent a strong signal to the House of Representatives to its leadership, Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., for him to allow the impeachment proceedings against President Arroyo to succeed and be elevated to the Senate for trial to finally put to rest lingering issues that have been hounding her presidency since 2005 or risk military adventurism backed up by the people.
During an interview, Young Enlisted Soldiers Active and Retired Military Police for Solidarity (Yes Arms) spokesman retired Commodore Ismael Aparri said the situation is volatile and warned the Arroyo government that the men in uniform are closely observing the proceedings in the House, hoping that the latest impeachment complaint against the President — to be backed up by an amended complaint from the United Opposition (UNO) — will put a closure to lingering allegations of electoral fraud committed in the 2004 presidential elections, graft and corruption and human rights abuses.
Even if De Venecia is persuaded by the opposition to support the impeachment complaint against President Arroyo, the vote will still be short of the 70 needed to transmit it to the Senate for trial, a chief political ally of Mrs. Arroyo yesterday said.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte doubts De Venecia, if he chooses, could even get 20 solons to vote for the impeachment complaint.
The opposition minority in the House numbers 30 and with Villafuerte’s boast that De Venecia can count on not more than 20 representatives to side with him, the impeachment complaint can only muster at most 50 votes.
UNO is purportedly planning to “strengthen” the initial complaint filed by lawyer Ruel Pulido today, through the latest scandals that are rocking the Arroyo presidency, such as the controversial approval and recent cancellation of national broadband network deal with China’s ZTE Corp., allegedly laced with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of kickbacks under the alleged maneuvering of First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo; the cash-giving spree in Malacañang to some 190 congressmen and allies of the President and local executives worth P200,000 to P500,000 each last October 11.
Aparri disclosed the reformists in the military and police are restive because the House allies of Mrs. Arroyo have made a mockery over the impeachment proceedings stated in the Constitution, making it a cottage industry to the detriment of the Filipino people.
“An impeachment proceeding is supposed to be a venue where the Chief Executive that is Mrs. Arroyo can seek redress over the allegations she faces, either graft and corruption, the ‘Hello Garci’ electoral fraud and human rights abuses, But it is sad and unfortunate that our corrupt leaders in Congress have made it (impeachment) a cottage industry. There is no more justice,” he said.
Aparri warned De Venecia against having the impeachment complaint killed, the same way he and the majority allies of the president did in 2005 and in 2006.
“We’re sending a strong warning to JdV that if they (majority) kill the impeachment of GMA, this would serve as the spark for a revolutionary situation. Our patriotic soldiers and police are merely waiting, observing and watching what is going to happen in the House. They have temporarily ceased from rebelling because they want the impeachment process to proceed in a democratic manner, on whether she is guilty or not,” he stressed.
Aparri charged that Mrs. Arroyo’s impeachment no longer revolves on the cracked relationship between her and the House Speaker but on the controversies that have to be given a closure.
“Mrs. Arroyo should allow it (impeachment) to prosper in the Senate instead of killing it. We are warning the House leadership to follow its conscience, to do what is right. It is no longer a question of a souring relationship between JdV and Malacañang, his ouster from the Speakership, being worked out by the presidential allies in Congress, due to his son’s exposé of the First Gentleman’s participation in the anomalous ZTE contract, but rather, giving way to a democratic process to proceed which is a trial in the Senate,” he added.
Aparri warned that adventurism by men in uniform is not far-fetched since these soldiers and police, 99 percent of them, belong to the majority of masses, who see a double standard of justice between the rich and the poor.
“An impeachment being killed means that its already an end of everything, that there is no more justice here in our country which invites a revolution and it can create a revolutionary situation wherein the people power in the streets could soon be participated by our poor soldiers, who see our democracy dead,” he noted.
But Kampi stalwart Villafuerte, commenting to talks that the Speaker was into getting signatories from the congressmen, said he doubts “very seriously if the Speaker can mobilize signatories to the Articles of impeachment of more than 20.”
Even as Villafuerte doubts the impeachment complaint succeeding even with De Venecia’s support, Malacañang has sent feelers to reconcile with the Speaker.
Mrs. Arroyo held a surprise meeting Saturday night with De Venecia and officials of the Lakas party in what was viewed as a move to assure the killing of the impeachement complaint.
Aside from De Venecia, former President Fidel V. Ramos who is the Chairman Emeritus of the Lakas party and other party members like Reps. Raul del Mar, Arturo Defensor, Prospero Nograles, Neptali Gonzalez Jr., Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita along with the League of Municipalities and Union of Local Authorities in the Philippines (Ulap) head Ramon Guico, League of Cities president Jerry Trenas and League of Provinces president Loreto Ocampos, were in the meeting.
In a statement, President Arroyo hinted that “it’s all well” now between the personalities within the administration coalition and what was agreed on was to continue their alliance by “staying as one family” and to put to an end any “leadership controversies.”
Mrs. Arroyo said her meeting with the Lakas leaders including De Venecia and Ramos was “warm, constructive and forward looking.”
Even former President Estrada is resigned to the fact that the move to impeach Mrs. Arroyo is a numbers game at the House of Representatives.
Estrada expressed serious doubts that efforts to present a stronger complaint against Mrs. Arroyo can change the fact that its fate would have to be decided through the vote of House members.
Lawyer Edward Serapio, spokesman for Estrada, said the former Chief Executive acknowledged that the process of impeachment is a numbers game and that the fate of the Ruel Pulido complaint as well as any amendment or supplemental complaint to be filed against Mrs. Arroyo rests solely on the members of Congress.
“It’s up to Congress. It’s their job,” Serapio quoted Estrada as saying.
Serapio added at this point, the numbers suggest another failed bid at impeaching Mrs. Arroyo.
A senior member of the minority bloc in the House, meanwhile, said the decision of the United Opposition to attempt in amending the Pulido impeachment bid did not go through consultations with the minority in the House.
The solon, in an interview, agreed with Estrada that the impeachment bid would fail even as he said that the 30-member minority has not even met to discuss the filing of an amendment to the impeachment complaint.
Serapio clarified that Estrada continues to take pride in his role as a humble elder of the broad opposition, maintaining his support for “principled fiscalization” to ensure honesty and integrity in government.
Serapio brushed aside speculations that Estrada had abandoned the opposition following the executive clemency handed down by Mrs. Arroyo.
“President Estrada remains committed to speaking out when he sees impropriety in government, but neither will he hold back in supporting programs of the administration intended to improve the quality of life of our people,” Serapio clarified.
Citizens Battle Against Corruption Rep. Joel Villanueva, said the success of the impeachment complaint will boil down to the numbers games like what happened in 2005 and 2006.
Villanueva said opposition solons in the House could suffer another retaliatory move from Malacañang by not releasing funds for their projects.
House Minority Leader San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora said there is no sign that De Venecia would support the impeachment complaint.
Uno spokesman Adel Tamano, however, maintained that Villanueva is wrong in focusing on the numbers game.
“I think it is a mistake to focus on the numbers. I think the focus should be making the proceedings itself genuine and truthful. Making it public because it involves public interest,” Tamano said yesterday.
Davao City Rep. Prospero Nograles said the ban on the filing of another impeachment complaint has been set in motion since the referral of the Pulido complaint to the House justice committee.
“At the end of the day, it is the House committee on justice which will decide. But definitely, the complaint cannot be amended like in 2006,” Nograles said.
