Quorum lack halts Ombudsman impeach vote


by Carmela Fonbuena, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak | 11/11/2009 9:53 PM

MANILA - Lack of quorum prevented the House of Representatives on Wednesday from voting on the House committee on justice report declaring the impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez insufficient in substance.

Congressmen in favor of impeaching the Ombudsman took a long time questioning the committee report. Several motions were raised but they were all denied. At the end of the day, after three hours of deliberations, the lack of a quorum did them the favor.

As of 9 p.m., only 116 congressmen were present in the plenary, short of the minimum of 135 congressmen to constitute a quorum. There are 268 congressmen.

Session will resume on Monday, November 16. It will take one-third vote of the House of Representatives--or 90 votes--to overturn the committee decision.

The impeachment complaint was led by former Senator Jovito Salonga. The complaint accused the Ombudsman of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution for allegedly sitting on "clear graft and corruption cases, some leading to the President herself or that of her closest associates."

The House of Representatives has the exclusive power to initiate impeachment cases against public officials.

Denied motions

Critics of the Ombudsman raised several motions against the committee report, but they were all denied.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño raised a technical point, saying the committee report failed to get the signatures of the majority of the committee members.

"I am afraid we cannot take up the committee report. Under our rules, the committee report should be signed by a majority. The committee has 55 members. Ang pirma, 23 lang," Casiño said.

But majority leader Iloilo Rep. Arthur Defensor said the numbers are only used for purposes of a quorum.

Casiño's protest was reiterated by Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez, but both their motions were denied in a viva voce voting.

Casiño lamented the way the House of Representatives is "taking lightly" the Ombudsman's delay in filing cases against officials close to Malacañang.

"Delay is precisely the problem of our judicial system. The House should do something about it. We should not give the excuse that there is no mathematical computation on what a delay is. In the case of the Euro generals, inamin na. What is taking her too long? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that a case should be filed against this person," Casiño said.

Irregular committee hearing

Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros also questioned the "irregularity" in the September 29 committee hearing, when the anti-impeachment congressmen prevailed and dismissed the impeachment complaint.

A total of 38 congressmen out of the total 55 members voted to dismiss the complaint.

"That vote was irregular, premature and in violation of the rules on impeachment. Acting with inordinate haste, the committee chairman entertained a motion which allowed the vote to take place despite protests coming from the endorsers [of the impeachment complaint]. The chairman ignored the minority. Literally, he turned his back on us and left the room," Hontiveros said.
 

as of 11/11/2009 9:56 PM

PHILIPPINES VS.COJUANCO,SY,TAN,VILLAR,MARCOS,PANGILINAN ETC.

Ang kinurakot na pera ng PILIPINAS ay nasa CORPORATION COMPANY sa PHILIPPINES,AMERICA,AUSTRALIA,SOUTH AMERICA AT ASYA lalo na sa CHINA.PLDT,Philippine Airlines,San Miguel,Manila Water at marami pang iba.Ilan lang ito sa pag-aari ng mga PILIPINO at ngayon ay pag-aari na ng mga magnanakaw na pulitiko at businessman.Inilalagay nila sa properties,business corporate shares para hindi mahalata ang ninakaw nila.Panahon na para maibalik ang yaman ng mga PILIPINO.Humingi tayo ng tulong kay HILLARY CLINTON na ifrozen ang money laundering galing sa bansa at iba pang bansa na pag-aari ng PILIPINO.Magugulat tayong lahat kung gaano kalaki ang nanakaw na pera ng mga PILIPINO.Itanong na rin natin ang mga kakandidatong PRESIDENTE,BISE,SENATORS,CONGRESSMAN at kung ang mga ito ay AMERICAN CITIZEN.Madali silang makakatakbo sa America kapag may masamang nangyari sa PHILIPPINES.Ito ang hamon sa ating mga mapagmahal sa bansa at kailan man ay hindi ipagpapalit ang bansang sinilangan.
Ngayon botohan na naman at marami sa ating kababayan ang talagang hindi naiintindihan ang nangyayari sa bansa.Araw-araw ay lumulubha ang sakit ng PILIPINAS.Kapag ibinoto ninyo ang isa sa mga ito,noynoy,teodoro,escudero,villar at estrada ay lalong lulubha ang sakit ng ating bayan.
Suportahan natin si BAYANI FERNANDO para lumaban na presidente.ACTION IS LOUDER THAN VOICE.Pinipilit niyang baguhin ang masamang kinaugalian na ng mga Pilipino.Mahirap man pero hindi siya sumusuko.Siya lang ang makakapagbago at makakalikha ng trabaho.COUNTRY OF SERVANT kung tawagin tayo ng mga banyaga.Hindi man natin matanggap pero iyon ang totoo.Saan ka man naroroon AMERICA,AUSTRALIA,EUROPE,MIDDLE EAST,ASIA AT PILIPINAS pare-pareho tayong mga alipin ng mga banyaga at alipin sa sariling bansa.Mahal kong mga kababayan.Ito na lang ang tanging naiiba sa lahat.Kaparehas nating maaaring kumain gamit ang sariling kamay.Makakain kahit walang plato.Kailangang mabawi natin ang mga yaman ng PILIPINAS.Siya lang ang mas higit sa mga kandidato at maniwala kayo madali nating mabubuwag ang tulad niya. Kapag siya ay nagkamali dahil hindi siya matandang pulitiko.SUPORTAHAN NATIN SI BAYANI FERNANDO PARA PRESIDENTE.
baGAY talaga si noynoy at mar roxas.



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