Erap: Arroyo already impeached in people's minds and hearts

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/13/2008 7:53 PM

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Former President Joseph Estrada said Monday the latest impeachment complaint filed by businessman Jose "Joey" de Venecia III against President Arroyo is no longer necessary since the people had already "impeached" her in their "minds and hearts."

"Whether or not (President Gloria Arroyo) is impeached, the people cannot be fooled. They have already impeached her as their president in their minds and hearts," Estrada said.

Instead of an impeachment bid, Estrada called on politicians and businessmen to unite and find solutions to the global financial crisis.

"What the politicians and businessmen should focus on right now is how to ensure that the Philippines will not suffer too much from the effects of the global financial crisis," he said.

The former president, through spokeswoman Margaux Salcedo, dismissed Malacañang's statements that rejected the latest impeachment complaint as a mere "publicity gimmick."

"It is a serious complaint that has itemized the most crucial of the Arroyo administration's sins against the people, including electoral fraud, extrajudicial killings, and graft and corruption, specifically the ZTE-NBN scam, which have also in many ways contributed to the rising levels of poverty in the country," Salcedo said.

She added that the people would want to see a change in leadership. "The people are not feeling the effects of the good economy that President Arroyo keeps talking about."

Estrada, who was replaced by Mrs. Arroyo following a military-backed urban uprising in January 2001, echoed a statement issued by the President's top ally in the House of Representatives earlier.

According to Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr., the lower house will act on the new impeachment complaint against the President though he said the move is ill-timed since the government should focus its attention on resolving the effects of the global financial crisis on the country.

“Personally, I think that the impeachment move is just ill-timed. The presidential election is just around the corner and the global community is deeply engrossed with actions and programs to save their respective economies from the lurking threats of recession," he said.

The lower house chief said that while other countries and international leaders are finding ways to stem the effects of the financial turmoil, some quarters are "preaching instability."

"Some are on the verge of collapse, and here, we are preaching the gospel of political instability,” Nograles said.

However, the President's top ally in the House said that congressmen will act on the complaint filed by de Venecia.

“The impeachment complaint filed against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will definitely go through the normal process as stipulated by our Constitution. But as we all know, the matter of impeachment, under our constitutional democracy, is a political exercise that needs to be resolved through a political process," Nograles said.

On Monday morning, de Venecia, a son and namesake of Mrs. Arroyo's former ally in the House, filed the complaint against her, accusing her of, among others, betrayal of public trust.

De Venecia was accompanied by Iloilo Vice-Governor Rolex Suplico and public interest lawyer Harry Roque.

The complaint was endorsed by Bayan Muna Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teddy Casiño and Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza.

as of 10/13/2008 7:53 PM