Impeachment 2005 and 2006: How the congressmen voted

let’s remember the names of these 173 congressmen lalo na yung mga balimbing. i’m very disappointed w/ the vote of teddy locsin. he might have a point in letting the people decide in 2007 but what about his most esteemed wit and conviction? did he play it safe this time?

Once again, this is a proof that money now RULES the EARTH. MONEY… MONEY… MONEY FOR CONGRESSMEN IN THE FORM OF PORK BARRELS and that’s the bottom line why the voting resulted that way!!!

Many of these congressmen know (unless they are tanga) that the president is guilty in either one or two of the accusations against her and yet they vote affirmatively afraid they will lose their porks even if it means also losing their personal virtues, honor and convictions.

I think it’s now time to re-define the intent and what pork barrel really is. There should be some criteria or standard on how should it be used and should not be left solely to the discretion of somebody or a political group. It should be used based on equity and not for the advantage or advancement of the incumbents or in the alternative let’s just scrap it altogether.

Now, what shall we do to solve these problems? Does anybody out there have a “Silver Bullet”?

Last year’s absence or abstention by pro-Erap congressmen was understandable because they hinged their decision on the principle that their participation in that impeachment will mean they have accepted GMA to be a legitimate president. I can live with that. Some, like Baby Asistio and Bingbong Crisologo were consistent in that stand and I respect their conviction. But what is unsettling in regard to the new impeachment is that some of them now voted against it.

Bai Dilangalen’s yes vote is the height of political opportunism. I am sure this representative represents not her district, for she won without any polls at all, as admitted by Erap spokesman-husband Digs. Dinky Soliman was probably writing “Shut Up” in a piece of paper when Bai started to speak.

I became an instant fan of Erap’s House Speaker Noli Fuentebella if only for his explanation of his vote which I consider the best speech in last year’s impeachment, with Escudero and Edmund Reyes’ own discourses as honorable mentions. I’m not surprised at his “softening” by being conspicuously absent because Noli’s district has been lagging behind in projects due to that vote and that his son Windy’s being one of the main proponents in the failed impeachment bid against Davide. I have been very cautious in blogging not to misspell his name and confuse it with the other sycophant, Money-ko Puentebella. Now, I couldn’t care anymore.

Boying Remulla’s intention is likewise suspect. It is incoherent that he voted against the impeachment twice on grounds that this year’s “impeachers” have impeached and will impeach every president starting with his boss Erap. His sour-graping does not strengthen his argument, however; not with Escudero, brother Gilbert and company remaining anti-Gloria. He just made his own brother look stupid in the process.

Last year, Edmund Reyes was a revelation. He went against the wishes of his Mommy dear who’s a Kumadre of the Doña, and declared the now famous, “Wala na bang pipirma para sa katotohanan?” Last year’s prodigal son is back in Mommy’s breast.

Ditto for Antonino Roman. Last year, he stood his ground trying to persuade his colleagues to go beyond the technicalities to the point of abandoning his party and crossing over to the proponents’ side. Yesterday, Nograles announced that Roman will be allowed to speak earlier than his scheduled turn because of a recent heart surgery. That explains it. He had a change of heart!

Rodante Markolekta or Marcoleta obviously would vote differently this time as last year’s was just a mission he had to accomplish as the official monkey wrench in the impeachment machinery. This year, he was a plain monkey.

Teddy Boy Locsin’s ego caught up with his wits and this year, had the upper hand. Maybe the famed Locsin balls got tangled with the guts on the way up to the neck.

As for the others who switched from “No” last year to “Yes” this year, e.g., Christian Seneres, Arthur Pingoy Jr., Proceso Alcala, I am not familiar with these people, their intentions, or affiliations, and are best left alone to their insignificance.

Last year’s pro-impeachment group also lost Ace Barbers, Dudut Jaworski, Clavel Martinez, and 7 others I cannot remember now who did not cast their votes and chose to be “neutral”.

Ace was the trump card last year, and now Ace is in the same hierarchy as the Joker. The Barbers family, in grief over the death of the patriarch Sen. Bobby at the same time being exposed as Garci’s persistent phonepal, had clearer heads and held themselves more spiritually and morally upright. Today, the Barbers dynasty is back to old ways.

Clavel Martinez was furious when she heard GSIS big boss Winston Garcia talking to Garci in the tapes, soliciting the manipulator’s help for sister Gwendolyn in the fight for governorship versus Martinez’ losing hubby. This year she is silent because of Gloria’s Solomonic promise to divide Cebu in two to accommodate both the Martinezes and the Garcias.

Days earlier, Dudut claimed he is keeping an open mind. To this day, he is still open. Of course, you do that if your maternal grandfather, whose intelligence is matched only by garden tools, is appointed to a juicy gov’t position, or your senator-uncle is with the administration bootlickers, or your wife’s father was appointed by Malacañang to run the country’s sports agency that spends more for officers than for athletes. Open mind? My ass.

Who will forget Jacinto Paras’ speech last year, “Sabi ko sa mga anak ko, ‘Your Daddy is not for sale'”. To Paras’ children: sorry, kids, your Dad has just been sold.

I salute the 32 who voted in favor of the impeachment complaint. I salute the black & white movement, particularly because they comprise of people who could not be accused of having political ambitions as their reason for standing up to be heard. They simply are patriots who love their country more than they love themselves. Sana maamoy ng mga ganid ang baho ng pera. “The love of money still is the root of all evil.” Thetaxes we pay go to the pockets of corrupt officials. They dare talk about how poor the people are while they flaunt their sparkling diamonds, their fancy cars and their signature clothes. Shame on you. you will gain genuine respect when you start lowering the cost of your consumption shopuldered by the electorate whom you perpetually cheat. You hypocrites!!!

“If anyones cause is really so noble & true. I don’t think it will end up so miserably.”

joselu, obviously, you’ve never heard of tiananmen square.

sorry to burst your balloon (though blowing sol’s balloon is what you’d rather do, apparently).

ah jester, it’s you again, hehehe, if you wanna leave by tienamen square history it’s your call.but the bottom line is you lose here.i guess i blew your ballon too.
I guess you must be fantazising about Tienamen in your dreams.But the point is you don’t seem to be neither here nor there & not facing the realities here.
Like it or not PGMA has survived a extremly vicious political storm & she is still going strong.Like I have said time & again to the disgust of certain people, she must be doing something right.
Compared to to those obssesed groups that only have a litany of excuses to say.
There must be something wrong.Don’t you think so?

dimasalang,

one big syndicate, in other words, la famiglia arrovo.

“Jester, I guess the conlussion that you make are based more on your imaginations & fears.I guess you really don’t have first hand knowldge cause if you did you should have gone to the ombudsman a long time ago to make a citizens complaint.”

you’re right, perhaps i should have joined black and white when they did so. not

Sorry jester, I’m not the type that gets carried away by dramatics.There is nothing wrong w/ the truth justice staff.

nothing wrong with truth, justice, and stuff — more to the point, there’s everything RIGHT about them. good to know that you aren’t swayed by dramatics, and no need to apologize for it — i only wonder (actually, i used to but i no longer do) why you aren’t swayed by unequivocal proofs.

Any nobel cause is supported automaticaly.

here i must beg your pardon, joselu, but THAT IS THE STUPIDEST THING ANYONE CAN SAY IN THIS ISSUE’S DISCUSSION. how so? noble causes AREN’T automatically supported — they are, in the main, uphill battles.

want proof? here:

– martin luther king and the US civil rights movement
– mahatma gandhi and india’s battle against british imperialist oppression
– women’s suffrage in practically every democratic country’s history
– human rights and civil rights in china, north korea, et cetera
– famine alleviation in ethiopia, et cetera (ever wonder why there are fund-raising concerts and such? it’s because even noble causes need to be palatable!)

if that’s insufficient proof, i suggest you read more and then get back to me.

The thing is, what you would wish to be a nobel cause is nothing but a “partisan” thing.Unwittingly you just seem to sugarcoat it w/ freedom justice staff.

partisan, indeed, it is… the word presupposes that sides are being taken unequivocally by people. if that’s what you mean, then you again are right.

i am of the opinion that unity without accountability does not a democracy make — what you have instead is a flock of mindless cows. that being my belief, i’d rather be “partisan” and express my dissent than be one of the thundering herd.

But the since i don’t see you ever getting any support from the start of this scandal, then you figure it out why is it so.

answer: because i am not part of the thundering herd, and i’m sure neither are those who have principles and live by them.

let’s face it, politics is a dirty world.There is no such thing that one politician is cleaner then the other.They are all dirty anyway.I guess in your case you will always be in the middle.perhaps your ideals that are so hight that at a certain point they are not real anymore that it, next to impossible for you to relate to relaity.

when you look for a doctor for your kid, do you look for a quack or for the best doctor you can find? when you have a house built, do you settle for someone who knows nothing about construction or do you go for someone who knows engineering?

if one’s standards are low, if one’s principles are malleable, if one’s honor is for sale, then such a one deserves the mediocrity, corruption, and venality he lives in… and only pigs like wallowing in mud.

Hey jester, i guess what makes you happy what counts.

I don’t think it’s about the winning or lossing side thing. But I surely would not like to be identified w/ a “trying hard” side that never seem to make points & are not man enough to accept defeat.Instead brand everyone else as the worst.

good for you — don’t go with the defeated, hang on the coattails of whoever is “winning.” the camp followers of napoleon in austerlitz became wellington’s lackeys after waterloo. there’s a pinoy term for it — figure it out.

Why not say it stright that you just happen to be “BETTER THEN THE REST”, HOLLIER THEN THOU”.

in this one case, YOU BET I AM.

With democracy gone in the open in Pinas, i think it’s time that we set up one in the “mountains” or worst join the existing ones.

This government is allegedly campaigning hard against the left and even vowed to eradicate them in two years but actually, by their acts, this government is the virtual biggest recruiter of the left. Look at what Palparan is doing against the Bulaknenos. He is not helping the government but helping the NPA’s recruiting efforts by his converting that peaceful province into a police state. When the government becomes the oppressor instead of being the protector, who do you think they will turn to?

Using money to kill a legal process (impeachment) is a mockery of democratic precepts analogous to silencing the voice of the people- the Filipino people. Survey after survey show that majority of the Filipinos wants Gloria impeached but unfortunately, their representatives in congress speaks differently because their mouths were stuffed with money.

Now, where’s DEMOCRACY so to speak. It’s DEAD!!! Wala na!!! Awanin na!!! Waray na!!! Nada!!! No mas!!!

P.S.

Pssst…. guys, atin-atin lang ito.

Gaano kaya katotoo ang tsismis na days before the impeachment plenary voting, De Venecia & company have cotton balls or napkins of that sort that allegedly came from GMA’s bathroom at ipina-aamoy doon sa mga congressman. Nakakagayuma daw ang amoy. Pag babae nagiging tomboy daw ang pakiramdam maliban kay Imee at i-ilan. Matindi talaga ano? No wonder kahit si Teddy Locsin na akala natin ay atin nagayuma rin. He..he…he…!

(puro seryosohan tayo dito. We need a break otherwise, mapupuno ‘yong hospital doon sa Mandaluyong)

Long Live Philippine-style Kleptocracy! Malacanang Palace and Batasan Pambansa are bunches of kleptocrats, liars, crocodiles, shameless bastards and traitors of republican democracy. The democratic principle of government accountability does not exist anymore or D.O.A. as the case of the 2nd impeachment complaint. Lower house’ impeachment rules are twisted just to satisfy their master. Those shameless lawmakers who voted against the impeachment of kleptomaniac President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo must pay a high price in the next 2007 election. I believe majority of voters will trash (trapos-basura) them out where they belong. Under corrupt GMA leadership, public officials are immune to congressional inquiry or senate investigation and mostly rewarded for their crimes. The illegitimate Gloria Arroyo government perpetuates kleptocracy in the Philippines. The Filipino people want justice. The United States government with the Group of Eight (G8), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, the Summit of the Americas, and the Global Forum on Fighting Corruption has been aggressively addressing issues concerning kleptocracy, including for example by denying safe haven to corrupt officials, to those who corrupt them, their illicitly-acquired assets and prosecuting those engaged in bribery, including in international business transactions. First Gentleman Miguel Arroyo a.k.a. Jose Pidal and Joc-Joc Bolante are living showcase of kleptocracy in the Philippines. NO SAFE HAVENS FOR CORRUPT PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS! Send them-kleptocrats to Pluto or Xena for the rest of their lives. Down with Gloria kleptocracy!

Dismissed

Voting 173 to 32 with one abstention, the House of Representatives dismissed the impeachment complaint filed against President Arroyo. Tomorrow’s headline in the tabloids: “Gloria, nasa gloria!”

President Arroyo survived yet another challenge to her presidency. Left-leaning scientists in UP are now looking into unverified reports that the president is not human after all – but a cat.

After the dismissal of the complaint, House Minority Leader Francis Escudero said he’s not sure whether opposition solons would try again next year. And he doesn’t care. After all, he’ll be Senator Chiz by then.

It took 17 hours of debates and explanation of votes before Congress dismissed the impeachment complaint filed against President Arroyo. Of course, it would have been a lot longer if Didagen Dilangalen was still around.

Cong. Baisendig Dilangalen, wife of Joseph Estrada’s spokesman & former congressman Didagen Dilangalen voted for the adoption of the justice committee report junking the impeachment complaint against President Arroyo. Ex-congressman Digs is now scouting for a good divorce lawyer.

Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago was the lone congressman who abstained during the nominal voting. That only means one thing – he has yet to decide whether to run for reelection or not in next year’s polls. Simply put, he’s playing safe.

Cong. Jacinto Paras, who was one of the most vocal critics of President Arroyo in last year’s impeachment hearings, supported the House justice committee’s report junking the impeachment complaint against the president. Ahhh, the lure of campaign funds.

In stating his YES vote, Cong. Mikey Arroyo said, “It’s no joke to hear even good friends lambaste your mother on a daily basis.” Hopefully, Mikey will have the same mindset when he decides to make his next movie.

Congresswoman Imee Marcos appeared in Congress and joined the minority in its call to impeach President Arroyo. PCGG Commissioner Ricardo Abcede has no more reason to party with Imelda Marcos again.

Majority solons dealt the impeachment process a final blow. And it’s dead. From now on, the country’s Lower Chamber will be known as The House of Whacks.

Defying predictions, former DSWD secretary Dinky Soliman did not weep this time when Congress finally dismissed the impeachment complaint against President Arroyo. She was too sleepy to even shed a tear.

Remember Cong. Edmund Reyes?
Last Year: “Wala na ba? Wala na bang pipirma? Wala na bang tatayo para sa katotohanan?”
This Year: “Wala na ba? Wala na bang extra pen? Pwes, tatayo na ako. Hindi na ako pipirma.”

Suggested Titles for this Whole Impeachment Brouhaha If Made Into A Movie

10) Natural Born Killers

9) Meet the Fuckers

8) Terminator(s) 2: Judgment Day

7) Misson Impossible II

6) Million Dollar Baby (Account in Germany)

5) All the President’s Men (And Women)

4) To Catch A Thief

3) Casoblanco

2) House of Flying Dagger (Looks)

1) Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (With GMA)

for a daily dose of political humor, pls visit:
http://www.professionalheckler.blog-city.com

Rizal, our national hero, did not push for freedom but only reform, why? Because he knows Filipino are not ready yet. And I guess we will never be ready to achieve a matured political system. Why? Because it is the people itself that needs to be reborn. Any system we put, any politicos we elect are doomed to failed. So let’s forget politics for a while, Gloria and those politicos will not last forever anyway. Who will ever think that China will emerge like a dragon? and yet it happened silently, slowly…we can be too!

[…] In 2005, 158 congressmen voted to junk the impeachment case in the Lower House. In 2006, 173 congressmen moved for its dismissal. (See related posts here and here.) […]