Opposition to LAMP: Cross party lines

"It’s more than just jueteng and politics."

The political opposition called on pro-administration lawmakers yesterday to cross party lines and study the merits of an impeachment case against President Estrada for alleged involvement in illegal gambling operations.

Meanwhile, former Pre-sident Corazon Aquino said she will pray for Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, who had exposed the ano-maly as the government launched recently a variation of jueteng.

"Let us pray for him like we pray for any other person," Mrs. Aquino said in an interview at the EDSA shrine. "Let us pray that we get to the bottom of this."

Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo Jr. (Lakas-NUCD, Valenzuela) appealed to administration congressmen to reconsider their opposition to a presidential impeachment.

"This is beyond politics. The nation’s interest is at stake here. Party loyalty should be set aside and the interest of the nation must be placed above anything else," Gunigundo said.

He said the allegations against the President should not be considered as a mere political issue "because it’s something deeper than that."

Gunigundo said he expects another presidential friend to come out and support the charges aired by Singson.

"I’m waiting for another close friend of the President to come out," Gunigundo said without elaborating.

He likened the jueteng controversy to the 1986 EDSA revolt initiated by two trusted allies of then President Ferdinand Marcos.

Then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Armed Force vice chief and concurrent Philippine Constabulary chief Lt. Gen. Fidel Ramos defected from the Marcos administration and declared a "people’s revolution" that subsequently catapulted Aquino to the presidency.

Gunigundo noted that it took at least two trusted people of the late dictator to change the course of the country’s political history.

Rep. Michael Defensor (LP, Quezon City) said legislators, regardless of party affiliation, are "duty bound" to investigate if the highest official of the land has committed criminal offenses as alleged by Singson.

Defensor urged his colleagues, especially members of the ruling Lapian ng Masang Pilipino (LAMP), not to simply dismiss calls for impeachment and instead study their merits.

He said they should "show courage rather than calculators," adding that debates on the effects of Singson’s allegations "have only revolved around numbers needed for impeachment of the President instead of studying whether there is a need to initiate one."

"They suddenly become expert mathematicians when their field should be law," Defensor noted.

"Some are even mocking the opposition for our lack of numerical superiority when the thing to be mocked is their lack of courage. It is not for us to muster numbers... it is for them to muster courage," Defensor said.

He stressed that it is incumbent upon the House to investigate Singson’s accusations to determine if the Chief Executive really committed impeachable offenses, or if Singson has lied.

"The rule is that we must investigate first before we impeach. But administration lawmakers seem to be afraid of a probe that they try to muddle the issue by saying that an impeachment move will not prosper," he said.

"Singson has an interesting story to tell, and the least we could do is listen," Defensor stressed.

He warned that the Estrada administration will suffer if the full story is not made public.

He also dared the majority to use their numerical superiority to "pursue the truth and not suppress it."

However, Majority Leader Eduardo Gullas insisted that it would be "mathematically and politically impossible" to impeach the President.

Citing House rules on impeachment, Gullas said the initiative could be acted upon after a verified complaint by any member of the House or by a citizen.

In addition, the House must also pass a resolution of endorsement by any member or at least one-third of the House membership.

"While it may appear easy to initiate it, the whole process would be impeded by political partisanship," Gullas pointed out.

"Expect the party lines to be drawn between the partymates of the President and members of the opposition.

There are only 39 oppositionists in the House, short by 32 of the required one-third of the House membership to pass the articles of impeachment.

The Speaker of the House includes the complaint in the Order of Business within 10 days from filing of the case, after which it is submitted to the committee on justice for deliberation.

Isabela Rep. Heherson Alvarez, secretary general of Lakas-NUCD, has said they would file tomorrow the impeachment case against Mr. Estrada.

Observers noted, however, that the case would fail unless an investigation showed that the charges were truthful.

Aklas-Pilipino chairman Baron Cervantes said they will support the move, but only after an investigation has been conducted.

Cervantes acknowledged the seriousness of Singson’s accusations. "It’s no joking matter. It should never be ignored."- With Sandy Araneta