According to Cong. Edcel Lagman, the Impeachment Complaint filed yesterday may be the only one acceptable, because it was filed on the correct day. That remains to be seen, as we all know that pro-Gloria Congressmen will stop at nothing to point out all possible defects and inconsistencies to thwart our search for Truth. Well, they can keep on trying, we will keep on fighting to get at it.
Our Press Release:
THE BLACK AND WHITE MOVEMENT, led by its provincial leaders, along with endorsers from the Liberal Party represented by Dina Abad, Noynoy Aquino, Neric Acosta, and Manny Mamba, filed the eighth impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Marilou Capucao of Naga City and Ian Beato of Catanduanes said that they traveled all the way from Bicolandia to manifest their desire to get to the truth behind the electoral fraud of 2004.
Roberto Almonte from Mindoro, on the other hand, wants to get to the truth about the fertilizer scam since there are many farmers from Mindoro who need support services but have not been adequately assisted by the government. “Dapat umuwi si Joc Joc Bolante para sagutin ang mga katanungan namin”, he said.
Pauline Nayra and Annie Curpin, both from Tacloban, echo the same concern. The impeachment procedure will provide President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a chance to explain her side on the fertilizer scam. It is widely believed that the funds that did not reach the farmers were used for the 2004 presidential election campaign.
Ian Digal and Dolly Corro are from Davao City. They signed the impeachment complaint because of continuous extra judicial killings in the country. They recall the martial law era, when Davao City had its share of everyday “salvaging” of critics of government. They do not want to see this happen again. The present regime must be stopped from committing these atrocities. This is the same concern of two leaders from Northern Luzon, Sr. Celerina Zabala from Abra and Ligaya Victoria from Baguio. They have seen the rise in the number of disappearances and killings of community leaders critical of government in their area.
Ma. Cynthia Sabanpan and Adora Ellevera brought with them 48 notarized verification forms to the impeachment complaint all the way from Cagayan de Oro City. The Black and White chapter of the Golden Friendship City recently held a dance rally called “STOP Cha Cha, Impeach Gloria” wherein people signed impeachment verification forms. Cong. Chiz Escudero was present to receive and transmit the forms to the House of Representatives.
“This action today shows that people outside Manila are searching for truth and want to be part of the impeachment process. Contrary to what government wants us to believe, the people in the provinces are asking questions and are willing to stand up for their beliefs.” said Sixto Macasaet, a convenor of BLACK AND WHITE Movement.
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STATEMENT ON OUR ENDORSEMENT OF THE IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT AGAINST PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO - Repesentatives Dina Abad, Neric Acosta, Noynoy Aquino, Manny Mamba
We have been asked why we are pursuing this impeachment again given the failure of last year's attempt and perhaps the increased difficulty of this new attempt.
Those of us present today are veterans of both EDSA I and II. We fought in simplest terms for the restoration of a government that would truly serve its people and not only the interests of a select few.
We who are elected officials of this land swore in our respective oaths of office to defend and uphold our constitution. It is with intense sadness that in the twentieth anniversary of our restoration of our democracy and freedoms we see our constitution seemingly violated with impunity.
There have been calls from certain sectors for us to desist in this undertaking. They have accused us of engaging in partisan and destructive politics. They have called us destabilizers amongst other labels.
When people are hungry as evidenced by a lot of our countrymen reduced to sharing a cup of instant noodles as their daily sustenance and the administration's response is the so called fertilizer scam. It has been admitted that at least twenty per cent of our labor pool have had to seek employment abroad and our government's response is to squander its scant resources on unnecessary and hideously expensive projects like the North Rail instead of spending it to pump prime our economy and provide jobs here. May we note for emphasis that the South Korean government has a rehabilitation project for a longer portion of the South Rail at a mere ten percent of the cost of the first phase of the North Rail project.
There are hundreds of extra judicial killings and disappearances, the vast majority of which remain to be solved.
Policies like CPR which effectively amended B.P.880 without benefit of legislation and orders like E.0.464 which contravened long standing decisions by the Supreme Court further reinforces the sense that this administration operates under rules subject to no laws but their own.
Given this state affairs our people are hungry and fearful and they are growing desperate and frustrated. Given a lack of redress for their grievances, one day like a seething volcano they will explode.
Given all of the above in furtherance of our sworn duty to serve the people regardless of the pressures and inducements thrown our way to change our stance we have decided to endorse this new impeachment complaint. .
The impeachment process, a constitutionally sanctioned activity, we believe is the surest and safest way to settle once and for all the issues that have divided us as a country and people.
The forces of the state in all its might are arrayed against us. The road ahead may be lonely and fraught with danger. The future is uncertain for all of us.
We are confident however that what we are undertaking today is in furtherance of that which is right.
3 comments:
Makes me mad how smoothly that jerk Edcel Lagman just trashed the first seven of these complaints with the same stupid technicality. He's such a disappointment. Even if they have the numbers though, I hope the opposition will make the Majority spend every single scrap of political capital they have left during this Second Impeachment process, which ought to be seen as the preparation for the Third Impeachment next year. I said that after the first attempt failed last year--prepare for the 2nd. I hope we don't indulge certain parties and their fantasy kangaroo courts this time either, which B&W really ought to evaluate objectively for how that lil exercise affected the second impeachment complaint. I don't blame CCTA entirely for this failure, but it seems fairly obvious, the Stalinist political theatricality of it did not help! Documenting the charges and evidence that was jammed in Congress did not require that extra fillip.
JuanM, it's tempting, after a year of disappointment despite hard work, an apathetic and unmoved public, to just call it a day and quit the struggle. But we can't, we're in for the long haul. There has to be hope, it's there.
By the way, has anyone wondered why a common case of the flu would drive Gloria to the hospital? Most of us generally drink our paracetamol and sleep it off at home. I really hope she recovers. I want her healthy enough to face the charges against her.
Rizalist is the disappointment. Stupid technicality? It is the constitutional law, damn lazy bum!!! If you want to know another place where constitutional details were discarded to fast-track changes, just remember Cambodia's killing fields!!!!!
Laziness.... The 8th citizens' impeachment complaint highlights the laziness of the politial opposition. You'd think that in a country with gazillion lawyers, the NGO- and opposition-leaders would know to spend 3 hours researching the constitutional rules for the earliest valid date for filing an impeachment complaint.
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