Guingona: Robots junked new impeach rap vs Arroyo
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/27/2008 8:28 AM
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A minority congressman on Thursday said he saw robots, not congressmen, when his group's impeachment complaint against President Arroyo was junked by a majority of House committee on justice members.
"We gave our reasons for our votes, and they (House majority members) were like robots. It's like they were ordered to be silent and just raise their hands, which is a sign that they are being controlled [by Malacañang]," Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto Guiongona III told ABS-CBN's morning show, "Umagang Kay Ganda."
Guingona said no one from the anti-impeachment congressmen or any other majority members of the justice committee, headed by Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor, really absorbed the pleadings and rebuttal of House Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora and other members of the minority.
"They went silent and just waited for the proceedings to end. That was what happened, their actions were mechanical," the congressman added.
The justice committee voted 48-2 to junk the latest impeachment complaint filed against Mrs. Arroyo by Joey de Venecia III, lawyer Harry Roque and families of extrajudicial and enforced disappearance victims.
Emerging from the impeachment proceedings, former speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said the legal scholars of the impeachment group will convene and try to decide if they should ask the help of the Supreme Court.
Guingona, however, said going to the high court would just be a wait of time. He is expecting the high court to decide in their favor, but he is also anticipating the magistrates to just bring the matter back to the House.
"I'm not that hopeful and even if we win in the Supreme Court, it will just say you're right and then they will bring it back to the House. We will only go back to step one," he said.
Guingona said that despite a Supreme Court's ruling, administration allies in the House will not be moved. "We know the reality that [the House] is controlled by Malacañang."
Will JDV influence Lakas party-mates?
Asked if he could influence party-mates in Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) to gather 80 signatures to overturn the committee decision, De Venecia said: “It’s possible but improbable. I don’t want to give false hopes. It will depend on the flow and movement of public opinion in the next few days.”
House Speaker Prospero Nograles, when asked the same question, said, "He [JDV] cannot influence me. I don't know about the others. I can only speak for myself. My sense is a lot of them are mad at him."
Nograles was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in February after De Venecia was ousted. Shortly thereafter, Nograles also ousted De Venecia as president of Lakas.
"I have no illusions, but let's see. We had a hard time in the committee. It will be harder in the plenary," Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said.
A one-third vote of the 238-member House of Representatives or a total of 80 votes can overturn the justice committee's decision junking the impeachment complaint.
