Impeachment Hearings Should Heed the People's Legitimate Complaints

The Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Liza Largoza Maza today asserted that the hearings conducted by the House Committee on Justice should finally provide the venue for all the serious charges outlined in the 93-page complaint to be heard. The House Justice Committee holds responsible in hearing out the cases namely President Arroyo’s betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption and other high crimes.

“All these legitimate and serious complaints constitute an impeachable offense. All the members of the Justice Committee are duty bound to hear them out and all forms of railroading the process have no room in this matter.”

The opening statement of the House Justice Committee chairman Matias Defensor Jr. projected the general tenor of the hearings to be conducted regarding the impeachment complaint against President Arroyo. Although the current impeachment complaint already passed the test of sufficiency in form, the committee has yet to determine if it is sufficient in substance on the succeeding hearings.

The Gabriela Solon said that “All the more that we should be on the lookout in this next process. Clearly, the allies of the Arroyo administration are hell bent on quelling the impeachment complaint; they can never deny the legitimacy and authenticity of these concerns.”

“For a corrupt and immoral government that have long dragged its people to extreme poverty and torment, an impeachment complaint is truly a ‘dreadful, menacing and dangerous’ political instrument that disrupts, dislocates or destroys it. For the majority of the Filipino people, this impeachment process is the very instrument to reclaim the dignity trampled upon by a government that plundered its very own people.”

“It is high time for President Arroyo to answer all these charges against her. The House Justice Committee has the prime accountability to thoroughly deliberate on this matter. This should be dealt with utmost significance as the Filipino people have long sought to achieve justice.”

Among the concrete charges included in the complaint are electoral fraud, human rights violations and bribery under the Arroyo regime, ZTE-NBN deal, North Rail Project, and the Fertilizer scam. ###