Quashing of Impeachment Complaint

Quashing of Impeachment Complaint

A tidal wave of anger will follow

When 183 members of the House of Representatives yesterday voted in favor of the House justice committee report recommending the rejection of the impeachment complaint that I and some interested parties filed, they acted true to form.

The plenary session was nothing more than an extension of the justice committee hearings, where the rule of the majority rather than the rule of law prevailed.

In clearing Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of wrongdoing despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the congressmen not only voted along party lines, proving that their loyalty is to the president rather than the people, they also lowered the standards for a person to hold on to the Philippine presidency.

There is good reason why Mrs. Arroyo’s popularity has sunk to all-time lows. She has lost the trust of the Filipino people, not only because of her actions, but also because of her inaction and outright tolerance of the crimes and misdemeanors committed by her family.

There is basis for the public perception that the Arroyo administration is the most corrupt regime the country has ever had.

As a result, no less than the Integrated Bar of the Philippines warned that the rule of law in our country is under siege.

To quote the IBP, “They have made corruption so open and pervasive, influence-peddling so rampant, and lack of transparency and accountability so common that we now genuinely fear for the future of the country and its people.”

Can the ladies and gentlemen of the House majority afford to ignore the warnings of the largest and most respected group of legal minds in the country? If they choose to do so, they do at their own risk. Never forget that the Filipino people taught the world how people power works. Look into the horizon and you will see a tidal wave of people angered by the abuses of an administration that refuses to learn the lessons of its past mistakes. Beware, lest that tidal wave turn into a tsumani that will swamp you all.

For now, I wish to thank the 21 congressmen who followed the dictates of their conscience, or who simply followed logical and legal thought. They saw the probable guilt of Mrs. Arroyo and voted to impeach her. To them I say, the Filipino people will not forget. You proved yourselves deserving of their trust and worthy of their votes.

To the congressmen who voted to quash the impeachment complaint based on their judgment that there was insufficiency in substance to the submitted document, may I advise them to study the complaint again.

And to those who argued that the person who occupies Malacanang must be allowed to finish her term, consider the damage that she and her cohorts can still do in the next year and a half. Consider too that she has been given the opportunity to do everything possible to stay in power beyond 2010.

To the congressmen who chose to grant Gloria Macapagal Arroyo the means of escaping her guilt rather than the opportunity to prove her innocence, one final word: You may have won this battle, but the war is far from over.

Quashing of Impeachment Complaint

[Reference: Malyn Limoanco 0918-9174674]

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