New Impeachment Complaint vs GMA

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Mike Banos / 24 Jul) The local Black and White Movement has endorsed to House Minority leader Francis Escudero (Sorsogon) 53 citizens' complaints to form part of the new impeachment complaint against President Gloria Arroyo which the opposition will be filing when Congress convenes next week.

Lawyer Antonio Soriano, lead convenor of the Black and White Movement in Cagayan de Oro, handed over the notarized complaints to Escudero, an opposition leader, at the weekend during an impromptu press conference.

Dubbed the first ever gathering of the anti-GMA forces in the region, the activity was also joined in by other civil society groups including the Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR), Gloria Resign Now (GRN), Task Force Macajalar (TFM), ENRAGED, NPKK, PILIPINA, and the Foundation for Good Governance.

"This is different from the previous impeachment complaint which pitted politician against politician, congressman versus congressman," Escudero said. "With the citizens' complaints, we have a bigger chance of convincing other congressmen to sign the second impeachment complaint because in this way, their constituents are telling them we will not vote for you if you don't vote for impeachment. Also this time, we shall also only be endorsing the complaints of civil society whom we represent."

Escudero debunked the contention of administration congressmen that the second impeachment complaint would be counter-productive and could lead to a legislative impasse like what has been happening in the Senate.

"We can multi-task if needed, and we can work overtime to pass needed legislation, as we have shown in the past," he said.

He also denied it was the minority in the House of Representatives who was responsible for Congress' failure to pass the 2006 General Appropriations Act since it was the administration, in particular President Arroyo, who stood to gain most from a re-enacted budget.

"We are only 39 opposition congressmen out of a total of 227," Escudero said. "The budget was submitted a month late in August last year by the chief executive, and we had already finished hearings on the first impeachment complaint by September 6, so that was only a week's delay at most. We cannot be held responsible for its delay up to this time and the record will show that more pro-GMA congressmen interpellated the GAA on the floor than the opposition."

With a re-enacted budget, Escudero said the President holds the purse strings for approximately P150billion of the "free money" or 17% of the budgeted capital acquisition of the 2005 GAA of P900 billion under the provisions of P.D. # 1177.

This outdated law which he has unsuccessfully tried to have repealed since he became a congressman in 1998 also grants an "impounding power" to the President to impose reserves for contingencies on specific budget items which could run as high as 35% and which she is under no obligation to restore even if such contingencies fail to arise.

"This is the biggest ever pork barrel and the reason why the check and balance between the executive and legislative arms of government has been usurped in favor of the former," Escudero said.

Asked what he was expecting from Monday's State of the Nation Address (Sona) by the President, Escudero demurred and said he was scheduled to deliver a "counter-Sona" by Tuesday so he would first listen to what Pres. Arroyo has to say.

He also denied reports of an opposition boycott since they would have to listen to her anywhere anyway to hear what she has to say and plan what they have to do in response. "They will also fill up our seats in Congress with someone else to make it look like it's full," he joked.

However, he later said he hoped and challenged the President to say how she intends to realize the "trickle-down effect" of her administration's economic gains to the poor.

"This is already her sixth Sona, so when is that trickle down effect going to happen?" he asked.

He also challenged the President to show how the touted gains from the country's stable fiscal position and appreciation of the peso would benefit the masses.

"Who has benefited from the gains in the stock market or the rise of the peso? Isn't it the rich? These touted economic indicators are not putting more food on the table and many people perceive themselves to be poorer (IBON's latest survey) and the only reason why less people are going hungry (latest SWS Survey) is that they are belt-tightening or eating less."

"How has a stable fiscal position and increased investor confidence addressed the basic needs for food, clothing, shelter and education of the masses?" he said in Pilipino. "Hindi naman makakain nila iyon."

Fr. Tony Ablon of the GNR/PCPR said his group together with other "progressive militants" would be holding a People's Sona at the Freedom Kiosk at Plaza Divisoria on Monday following a 'people's march' from the provincial capitol gardens slated to start at 12 noon.

Earlier, P/Chief Supt. Florante Baguio, regional director of the PNP Police Regional Office-10 said they will be strictly implementing the "no permit, no rally" policy of the DILG. Although he expects sporadic protest actions to be held Monday throughout the region, the PNP would nevertheless exercise "maximum tolerance" to keep the peace and avoid violence.

He said the full force of the PNP PRO-10 and local police have already been in place in the last three days on full alert in anticipation of the President's Sona on Monday.