Impeachment reaches last 2 minutes

My colleague in media, Mr. Alvin Capino of the Standard, puts it graphically when he wrote that the nation goes into the last two minutes of the impeachment trial.

Between now and Monday, both the administration and the opposition will be giving all in the field of backroom maneuvers. As somebody said, this is the time for operations, maneuvers and negotiations.

If you listen to the opposition, all they need is six votes to complete the 79 signatories to the impeachment complaint. The Inquirer continues to publish this figure, even if the Philippine Star says the opposition needs about 30.

Don't believe both figures. These figures are what we call palakas-loob, all intended for propaganda in the run-up to the Monday plenary which will decide finally the fate of the resolution. The final figure must be somewhere in between.

The rule says the House needs 1/3 vote of the House to elevate the motion to the Senate, but it would take 2/3 vote of the Senate to convict. That is the play of democracy in the impeachment trial. By Monday, the House will have its first crack in the voting.

As the congressmen go on voting this Monday or Tuesday, we are not really sure what is right or wrong. The division of the national society on impeachment is so sharp, one does not know anymore on what is the correct direction.

Are we prepared to impeach the president in the House, convict her in the Senate and then replace her with a constitutional successor or a transitional government composed of prestigious citizens?

Or should Congress reject the impeachment resolution, allow her to rule on the condition that a charter change eventually takes place for the smooth shift to a parliamentary government?

When congressmen attend the plenary session next week, they will have these two choices in mind.

* * * Basketball row bad reflection for us

If there is anything that is common to both Cebu and Manila, it is the love for basketball. But because of the row among basketball officials, we may not be able to join international contests held even in our country.

Take a look at the basketball contest in the forthcoming Southeast Asian Games in Manila this December. If we don't have the recognition of the FIBA, we may have to cancel the games, or worse, we may see other nations play in our courts, but ours can't.

We now have two associations here -one, is the PBF headed by Moying Martelino and the BAP headed by former senator Joey Lina. Lina has the international recognition from FIBA but the PBF has none. But as far as the Philippines is concerned, it is only the PBF that is recognized.

There are some who think that the only way to resolve this is for POC chief Jose Cojuangco and Lina to meet and thresh out matters. They should go beyond the pressures of interest groups imbedded in the two associations and look at the national interest. There is no other solution but to negotiate, otherwise the solution would be the intervention of the Palace which I hope would not happen.

Let the sportsmen solve the problems of sports.

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BRIEF NOTES. The Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the largest in the country, does not have a permanent president. It is time for the board of regents to choose from short list of three candidates... As it is, the PUP is carrying out the term-sharing scheme made popular in the Senate.