(UPDATE) House rules against impeachment on president

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The House of Representatives justice committee today rules against three impeachment complaints on President Benigno Aquino III due to insufficiency in substance.  

Members of the House of Representatives' committee on justice voted 54-4 to dismiss the three impeachment cases.  

Earlier, they declared the impeachment complaints sufficient in form during their hearing last week.  

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. and deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte welcomed the junking of the impeachment cases against Aquino, saying Malacanang, the site of the government, respects the process and decision of the House.

Coloma was quick to deny that the Palace had a hand in the decision of the administration-dominated Lower House.

"The president and the administration did not use any influence (to drop the impeachment complaints)," he said in a news briefing.

Valte also said Congress had been transparent and strictly followed its procedures.  

Two of the impeachment raps against Aquino were based on the decision of the Supreme Court declaring partially the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), the stimulus package of the administration to pump-prime the economy, as unconstitutional, and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States.