MANILA, Philippines - Allies of President Benigno Aquino III moved Tuesday to fulfill his campaign promise to hold Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez accountable for her performance.

Leaders of Aquino’s Liberal Party and their major stalwarts in the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to declare 2 impeachment cases against Gutierrez sufficient in substance.

The first complaint, filed by a group led by former Akbayan representative Risa Hontiveros, was voted sufficient in substance, 41-14, in the House of Representatives justice committee.

The second complaint, filed by a group led by Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes, was also deemed sufficient in substance, 41-16.

In a rare appearance at the House of Representatives justice committee, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II made sure a vote on the complaints' sufficiency in substance happened amid the minority's attempts to delay the vote.

Top officials of the House attended the hearing including Deputy Speakers Lorenzo Tanada III, Raul Daza and Boying Remulla as well as a jampacked committee comprised mostly of the President’s Liberal partymates.

Minority decries 'mob rule'

Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Farinas filed separate motions to vote on the sufficiency in substance of the 2 complaints, but these were opposed by Camiguin Rep. Pedro Romualdo.

Romualdo had questioned the vote since it comes less than 7 days after the impeachment rules of the 15th Congress were published. He was moving to have the vote delayed to next week.

After losing twice in the voting, Romualdo called the proceedings a mob rule. Romualdo’s motion to delay the proceedings lost, 19-40.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez refused to vote on the second complaint, saying the Constitution bars the filing of a 2nd complaint against the same official within one year of the 1st complaint.

The vote was forced by the majority upon the intervention of Gonzales,  who argued that nothing stops the justice panel from voting on the complaints' sufficiency in substance.

Farinas urged his colleagues not to shirk from their constitutional duty and let the Ombudsman be investigated to preserve the dignity of the House of Representatives.

This was his rejoinder to Senior Minority leader Danilo Suarez’s argument that the impeachment proceedings be delayed to give way to the passage of the 2011 General Appropriations Bill.

1-year ban

Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong, meanwhile, argued that there is a prejudicial question that must be resolved prior to voting, which is the matter of the 2 complaints being separately referred instead of being jointly referred. The minority congressman argued that it was physically impossible for both to have been referred to the Justice Committee at the same time since one would have to be read before the other.

Gonzales countered that the intention of the leadership was to refer the complaints together.

A complaint is deemed initiated after it has been referred to the Justice Committee. That is also when the 1-year ban against similar impeachment complaints takes effect.

Gonzales argued that the case of Francisco vs. the House of Representatives is not analogous to the present impeachment complaints. The Francisco case questioned the filing of 2 impeachment complaints against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2005 especially since the 2nd complaint was filed after the justice committee already started tackling the 1st complaint.

Case vs justice panel chair

Majority and minority lawmakers also clashed over the approval of the journals for hearings and meetings on August 31 and September 1. The minority objected to the joint approval of both as they have objections to the September 1 journal.

On September 1, the minority had moved to have Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., chairman of the House justice committee, inhibit himself from the proceedings since his father faces a case before the Sandiganbayan filed by the Ombudsman.

Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron later told reporters that Tupas himself faces a case at the Ombudsman over alleged ghost seminars he organized as Iloilo board member.

Stronger chance

The sufficiency in substance vote comes a week after House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said the Liberal Party will not conduct a signature drive to fast track the impeachment. Belmonte said the LP has no party stand on the impeachment, and even if it did, it only has 81 congressmen to commit.

At least 90 congressmen are needed to fulfill the requirement to transmit the case for trial at the Senate. It needs to get at least 9 more. Belmonte said he is for due process.

A lawmaker who spoke to ABS-CBN on condition of anonymity said the impeachment of Gutierrez has a stronger chance now than before. The source noted the President's allies in the Lower House can easily get the required number for the impeachment complaint, judging from today’s proceedings.

Among those who witnessed the vote were complainants Hontiveros and Reyes, as well as former Arroyo administration officials Jake Lagonera, Peter Favila and Remedios Poblador. Gutierrez is a known ally of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and is accused of preventing the filing of cases against Arroyo administration officials.

The proponents welcomed the development and are optimistic about their chances this time.

In  a statement, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said: “We are glad that we have hurdled the second round of the impeachment process. The next round will be more difficult as this deals with the sufficiency of the grounds of the impeachment. This marks the first time we have ever hurdled the sufficiency in substance stage since 2005. We are pleased with the support given by the majority to the case so far. We are dismayed by the repeated delaying tactics employed by the minority. Their interpretation that the impeachment is a rat-race should stop.”