Arroyo says she welcomes impeachment

MANILA – Philippine President Gloria Arroyo said yesterday she would welcome impeachment so that she can refute opposition allegations that she cheated in last year’s elections.

Arroyo, fighting for survival amid a crisis that has roiled the financial markets, sparked street protests and triggered fears of military intervention, said through her spokesman she wants the nation to calm down. “Hopefully, this move (impeachment) will quiet down the political environment,” spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a statement.”The impeachment is uncalled for and will just be a waste of time,” Bunye said.”But if this move is the only way to put a stop to the prevailing political grandstanding and mudslinging, then we welcome the move of Speaker de Venecia…””Apart from the search for truth, there is nothing more pressing than an immediate return to normalcy under the rule of law.”House of Representatives speaker Jose De Venecia, an Arroyo ally, has said he will ask the House justice committee to tackle an impeachment complaint filed against Arroyo late last month for breach of public trust.It follows the release of an audio tape in which the president can purportedly be heard talking to a senior election official.She admits improperly calling a poll official during the vote count but denies trying to fix the election.Arroyo’s allies have a majority on the justice committee and could vote to stop the complaint being sent to the full House.Should her allies lose any vote in committee, the complaint would go to the full House, where a one-third vote would send the charges to the Senate for trial.Opposition legislator Francis Escudero has expressed wariness over the impeachment route, describing the complaint as flawed and a trap that would give Arroyo the opportunity to beat the rap.Instead, the opposition has encouraged street protests apparently in the hope of persuading key sectors of society like the military, the dominant Roman Catholic church and the middle classes to withdraw their support for Arroyo.Arroyo came to power through a bloodless, military-backed popular revolt in 2001 that toppled the elected president Joseph Estrada, now on trial for corruption.Estrada had been impeached but escaped conviction when his Senate allies blocked the use of key evidence against him.- Nampa-AFP”Hopefully, this move (impeachment) will quiet down the political environment,” spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a statement.”The impeachment is uncalled for and will just be a waste of time,” Bunye said.”But if this move is the only way to put a stop to the prevailing political grandstanding and mudslinging, then we welcome the move of Speaker de Venecia…””Apart from the search for truth, there is nothing more pressing than an immediate return to normalcy under the rule of law.”House of Representatives speaker Jose De Venecia, an Arroyo ally, has said he will ask the House justice committee to tackle an impeachment complaint filed against Arroyo late last month for breach of public trust.It follows the release of an audio tape in which the president can purportedly be heard talking to a senior election official.She admits improperly calling a poll official during the vote count but denies trying to fix the election.Arroyo’s allies have a majority on the justice committee and could vote to stop the complaint being sent to the full House.Should her allies lose any vote in committee, the complaint would go to the full House, where a one-third vote would send the charges to the Senate for trial.Opposition legislator Francis Escudero has expressed wariness over the impeachment route, describing the complaint as flawed and a trap that would give Arroyo the opportunity to beat the rap.Instead, the opposition has encouraged street protests apparently in the hope of persuading key sectors of society like the military, the dominant Roman Catholic church and the middle classes to withdraw their support for Arroyo.Arroyo came to power through a bloodless, military-backed popular revolt in 2001 that toppled the elected president Joseph Estrada, now on trial for corruption.Estrada had been impeached but escaped conviction when his Senate allies blocked the use of key evidence against him.- Nampa-AFP