August 30, 2005 · Posted in: Arroyo Impeachment, In the News
Waiting for last 14 signatures
A POSSIBLE crucial vote today that could seal the fate of the amended impeachment complaint might just be the needed impetus to finally secure the required 79 signatures — one-third of the House membership — to immediately transmit the articles of impeachment against Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the Senate for trial.
The amended complaint only needs 14 more signatories after impeachment endorsers have secured the endorsement of 65 House members last week.
Eighteen congressmen from the ruling coalition were the latest addition to the list of endorsers of the amended Lozano complaint, whose status is the subject of ongoing debates at the House justice committee. Following last week’s vote that sidestepped the determination of the complaints’ sufficiency in form and substance in favor of the "prejudicial questions" raised by Rep. Edcel Lagman, committee members have begun arguing among themselves on the first of two questions: whether the amended complaint is a separate and new complaint distinct from the original one filed by lawyer Oliver Lozano last June 27.
The names of the recent endorsers are being withheld at the moment, although one of them, Rep. Rodolfo Bacani (4th district, Manila) of the Liberal Party, already came out yesterday to expose the plan of the House majority to throw out the amended and Lopez complaints today citing the violation of the one-year ban on the filing of more than one impeachment complaint against the same public official. (Note: What the Constitution prohibits is the initiation of more than one impeachment proceeding, not complaints.)
The remaining 14 signatories, our impeachment team insider says, are just "waiting in the wings" in anticipation of the scuttling of the amended Lozano complaint today.
"This week we are counting on our colleagues to prove that this is not the best Congress that money can buy," said Rep. Allan Peter Cayetano, the impeachment team’s spokesperson.
13 Responses to Waiting for last 14 signatures
Abe N. Margallo
August 30th, 2005 at 11:19 am
Tracking the storm before the vote
(Ode to the Eastern Wind)
by Abe N. Margallo
O Wild Reming, thou bad breadth of being,
Thou whose unwelcome presence leaves dead
Scores of downtrodden, as if laid for Halloween.
Now come yellow, and black, and pale
(and hectic red’s herring?),
Pestilence-stricken multitudes. O no!
Wild as beer-gin-coke, nauseating yet liberating,
Destroyer and preserver. Can’t you see, can you see?
O Uncontrollable! Just as the wave of ’86,
Uplifting as a cloud,
Shower of shredded yellow pages
Like withered leaves strewn
To quicken a rebirth.
But the black rain old and mighty
Lingered—tameless, and swift, and proud.
Thou wild dream of Summer, impetuous one!
Driving my dead thoughts,
Tumults in harmony;
Scarce seemed a vision. Scary.
Echoes of “Cory! Cory!”
“Laban! Laban!”
Now, “Glory! Glory!”
“Resign! Resign!”
Now, the foliage of thy voice
Suddenly grow gray with fear,
While the comrades of thy wanderings
Fall upon the thorns of life; the Nation bleeds—
Its daily bread; hear, O hear!
Ah, nostalgia lapsing, like a soul forgiving
Affecting my reality (as this pediculous parody).
Can’t you see, can you see?
Now where are we? O yeah,
Leaves are falling like my verse
Despoiling themselves
In a vast sepulcher of doom,
Fire and hail will burst. Wow! And . . .
That maize has sprouted, those streams are flowing!
Can’t you see, can’t you see?
My foot, my foot.
Yeah, be through my foot to my unawakened land
The trumpet of prophesy! Now Wild Seniang,
If EDSA II comes, can EDSA III be far behind?
concerned citizen
August 30th, 2005 at 11:38 am
calling all majority tongressmen & tongresswomen! kung may nalalabi pa kayong konsensya at hiya, kung hinde kayo mukhang pera, kung gusto pa nyong ipagmalaki kayo ng mga anak nyo, maawa naman kayo pumirma na kayo sa impeachment. hinde po si arroyo ang naglagay sa inyo sa pwesto nyo o baka kasama kayo ni arroyo sa nandaya kaya naupo kayo sa pwesto nyo. makinig kayo sa constituents nyo. malapit na uli ang halalan tatandaan namin ang ginawa nyong kawalanghiyaan at pagyurak sa kagustuhan ng sambayanan filipino. ilang oras na lang impeachment na. mga kababayan ipagdasal natin ang mga kaluluwa nitong mga mambabatas natin na sana bigyan sila ng maykapal ng tamang kaisipan mamaya sa kongreso at pumirma na ng matapos na itong kawalanghiyaan ng administrasyong arroyo.
deep_eyed
August 30th, 2005 at 12:11 pm
ewan ko ba sa mga congressmen natin. di naman nangangahulugan na wala silang loyalty kay misis arroyo kung sasang-ayon sila sa impeachment. mukhang kapit-tuko din kasi ang ibang congressmen na para bang walang sariling desisyon. sana marami pa mamulat na congressmen after this day
fencesitter
August 30th, 2005 at 12:31 pm
I pray that congressmen will finally decide for the people and for the truth
soledad t. tubay
August 30th, 2005 at 12:31 pm
If and when the fourteen signatures come, today shall be one of the bwst days of our lives as filipinos. Those signatures will prove that we may not be a perfect lot but we are a people with conscience and we rally behind the truth.
expilad
August 30th, 2005 at 12:50 pm
It is time for the honest, principled and concerned lawmakers to put aside loyalty to party and instead do what is good for God, Country and the citizen of the country. Let the people see what a democracy is meant to be and sign the impeachment process against the president. If she is indeed innocent, she will be exonerated and she will come out of this impeachement as a stronger president with the respect of all the people of this country and probably the world.
nnk
August 30th, 2005 at 1:06 pm
Sana maka 79 signatures na sa congress.
I believe pag nabasura ang impeachment, kaunti lang mag ma-marcha sa kalye kasi kahit hate na hate ng tao si gloria, pagod, walang pera, at wala ng paki ang mga tao.
Mahina kasi nmana talaga ang opposition congressmen.
At ang napapkasuwerteng gloria ay makakaligtas na!! Mas makasalanan pa siya kay Erap sa totoo lang.
primo
August 30th, 2005 at 1:15 pm
believe in the power of prayers.. may mga reason kung bakit nangyayari ito.. someday mag mamature din ang bansa natin.. (ang tagal nakakainip!)
xanana
August 30th, 2005 at 1:58 pm
Once they kill the impeachment complaint I will go out to the street or even in the mountain to protest. How about you?
hunghang
August 30th, 2005 at 3:18 pm
Yes, it’s way too much for ordinary Filipinos for them to just stay in the sidelines. I have always been moderate all my life. I haven’t joined any protest against or for any sitting government official for that matter.
But for them to derail this because of techncalities, as the impeachements propents has been saying all along, is way too much. It maybe trigger that will push the political moderates over the edge.
Isn’t it ironic that the most rabid attack dogs of Malacanang used to be the most rabid supporters of the “constructively resigned” President Erap? Senator Santiago, Representatives Puno, Villafuerte, Jaraula, Mayors Duterte, Atienza, (who I believe was in EDSA Tres), Governors Lazaro of Laguna, Tommy Joson of Nueva Ecija ( where FPJ won by the largest margin of votes of any province, correct me if I am wrong) and so many others. Mahiya hiya naman po kayo, you people don’t stand for anything except for your own personal agendas.
Political turncoatism IS THE SOURCE of the political instability we have in our country. The names I have mentioned are some of the worst. Some may and will disagree with my comment, but the names above, is a matter of fact. No one can deny it.
doctorT
August 30th, 2005 at 9:36 pm
What great shame POLiTICS have done in our country? Reminds me of John Lennon’s IMAGINE.
Imagine
Imagine there’s is Gloria,
It’s easy if you try,
Hell is below us,
Above us also fire,
Imagine all the people
living for today…
Imagine there’s GMAs allies,
It isnt hard to do,
Everyone kill and die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in hell…
Imagine all Vidals possesions,
I wonder if you can,
So much greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of thieves,
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world…
You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you’ll join us,
Kill them all and live as ONE .
watcher
August 30th, 2005 at 9:37 pm
Bless these new signatories and those who had signed much earlier. May more come to realize their duty to God and country. Sign the impeachment.
tenshio
August 31st, 2005 at 5:58 pm
For those congressmen who have already signed the impeachment, mabuhay kayo! For those who said they will sign once the signatories reach a certain number, puros kayo mga siguristang walang bayag! Finally for those who have no intention of signing, mamamatay rin kayo and we’ll see how all the riches in the world will not save your souls.