Palace: Impeach cases won’t prosper

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang is confident President Aquino will survive the impeachment complaints against him without having to move his allies in the House of Representatives to junk the three cases that were found sufficient in form.

“We certainly do not agree with the allegations in the three impeachment complaints. However, there is a process in the House, and that’s a process dictated by the Constitution, so we respect the process,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing yesterday.

“As to ‘worried’? We’re not concerned about the impeachment complaint proceedings right now, although it is a very important proceeding in the House. What we’re more concerned with is really how to address all the concerns of the country that affect our countrymen,” he said.

Two impeachment complaints filed against Aquino were related to the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), parts of which were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The third complaint was in connection with the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States.

“When we say confident, then there’s assumption… there’s this implication that we’re moving heaven and earth to do that. What we’re saying is we believe that the President has not committed any impeachable offense and I’m sure… when they go through sufficiency of substance, when they go through the allegations of the impeachment complaints… they will see that there is no merit (to allegations) the President has committed an impeachable offense,” Lacierda said.

People were entitled to their own opinions, he said.

“But, the greater Filipino people, a majority of the Filipino people, are with us in the ‘straight path.’ So we believe that the President has not done any impeachable offense,” Lacierda said.

The DAP is still pending before the SC because the government has filed a motion for reconsideration.

The President and his officials have defended the mechanism, saying it accelerated the implementation of programs and projects listed in the budget by using savings.

The EDCA was signed to increase the rotational presence of American forces in the Philippines in line with the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty.

In all three cases, the President was accused of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust.

Iloilo Rep. Neil Tupas, chairman of the House committee on justice, said the next hearing on the impeachment complaints would be held on Tuesday, when they will determine if the complaints are sufficient in substance.

The coming deliberation is expected to be heated as the administration-dominated panel is expected to junk the complaints.

 On the other hand, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez called on his colleagues to remain true to their principles instead of being pressured by their political allegiances.

Romualdez, leader of the independent bloc in the House, appealed to the panel members “to judge the complaints with the truth and the good of the people as their basis and not political considerations.”

 He also called on the people to be extra vigilant in the coming public hearings on the impeachment complaints.