Saturday, March 26, 2011

Lacson back in Manila after over a year in hiding

Sen. Panfilo Lacson finally resurfaced after leaving the country over 14 months ago to evade arrest when he was tagged as the mastermind in the Dacer-Corbito murder case.

Lacson arrived in Cebu City on Saturday aboard a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong. Flight CX 921 landed at the Mactan International Airport at 11:42 a.m.

He later flew to Manila in the evening. Authorities from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport confirmed that Lacson arrived via RPC 2711, a Baron-type, twin-engine plane.

The private plane landed at 6:40 p.m. and taxied to the General Aviation area, away from other airport terminals for commercial airlines and out of sight of mediamen.

Airport authorities said Lacson's son Allan and 4 escorts met the senator at the private hangar.

The senator will spend time with family, according to Gerry de Belen, a staff of Lacson.

Lacson reportedly went staight home to Ayala Alabang village in Muntinlupa City.

De Belen said Lacson will hold a press conference on Monday.

Impeachment

Lacson is expected to join his 22 colleagues at the Senate on May 9 when Congress convenes again.

The senators will act as senator-justices in the impeachment trial of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

The Aquino government, which is supporting the impeachment, needs a two-thirds vote from allies in the Senate for a guilty verdict.

Based on present political alliances, 7 senators are expected to support the Presdident's call to impeach. Lacson is being eyed as the 8th.

But in a statement on Saturday, Malacañang focused on Lacson's legal standing.

“We welcome the return of Sen. Ping Lacson so that he can put closure to the accusations hurled against him,” said Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Gloria Arroyo visit Merci after impeach vote

Political analyst Prof. Edmund Tayao believes the alleged visit of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo to Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez hours after the House of Representatives voted in favor of her impeachment is another nick to her already beaten image.

Tayao said impeachment is a political process and public perception plays a big role. The trial at the Senate has yet to start, but public perception is already against the Ombudsman, he said.

"Public perception is against the Ombudsman, hindi mabuti para sa kanya ang pagpunta ni GMA pagkatapos ng botohan sa impeachment case. If you are one of the personalities in this impeachment case, you should be careful with what you say and be careful to be seen in public with whoever,” he said.

“Pwede naman na nag-usap nalang sila sa ibang lugar o nagkita, tumawag sa telepono para wala sanang nakakita sa kanila. Kung marami raw kasi ang nakakita, hindi maiiwasan na i-spin nila na kakampi ni Gutierrez si Arroyo,” he added.

Tayao added that people can only speculate what the two talked about during the alleged visit.

Gutierrez refused to comment on the issue.

"The Ombudsman will not dignify such a malicious rumor with a comment," said Anna Sanchez, media officer from the Office of the Ombudsman.

An anonymous caller purporting to be a neighbor of Gutierrez contacted ABS-CBN this morning and alleged Mrs. Arroyo visited Ombudsman Gutierrez.

ABS-CBN visited the Ombudsman's neighborhood in Santa Ana, Manila and residents and barangay officials confirmed seeing the former president. However, they refused to face the camera for fear of retribution.

Two men identified by a barangay official as security guards working for the residential building owned by the family of Ombudsman Gutierrez's husband approached the ABS-CBN team and took their names.

They also took photographs of the news team using a small handy-camera.

Aquino urges public support for Merci impeachment

President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III urged the public today to support the impeachment process against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, his strongest statement yet regarding the matter.

In a speech before the business leaders of Northern Mindanao, Aquino said “We are working to eliminate corruption in our institutions…We are trying to create an environment where this does not happen, where no one questions the legitimacy of such deals, and where nothing needs to be undone later on.”

He said this environment is where the right person can do his or her work to prosecute cases similar to the NBN-ZTE, Megapacific and NAIA-3 scandals.

The Ombudsman was impeached by the House of Representatives early Tuesday. She is accused of betrayal of public trust due to her low conviction rate and inaction on the NBN-ZTE scam, fertilizer fund scandal, "Euro generals" scandal, Mega-Pacific deal, and the Philip Pestaño case.

Malacanang is being lambasted for supposedly using its powers to pressure allies in the House of Representatives to vote in favor of the impeachment against Gutierrez.

The overwhelming 212 votes obtained on Tuesday morning were beyond expectations. Some expressed sentiments, however, that this will not translate to the same in the Senate.

In the same speech, the President reiterated his campaign pledge to establish a government of reform.

He claimed that he has delivered on his promise. “We are delivering on these promises, and this has redounded to significant improvements in many areas of concern, specially our economy,” Aquino said.

He cited, for example, a recent Citibank study that included the Philippines as one of 11 countries with the most promising growth prospects per capita.

Senate OKs rules on Gutierrez impeachment trial

The Senate approved on Wednesday the rules for the impeachment trial of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez in May.

The amended rules include a provision specifying that senators must adhere to the principle of "political neutrality, defined as the "exercise of public official duty without unfair discrimination and regardless of party affiliation."

Senators, witnesses, members of the prosecution and defense panels, and the accused are also expected to refrain from talking in public about the merits of the case or grant interviews while the trial is ongoing.

However, no specific provisions on the issue were added to the rules.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, sitting as the presiding officer, will render his vote at the end of the trial, unlike in the Estrada impeachment trial in 2000 where the presiding officer – then Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. – was not allowed to vote by the rules.

A new provision also states that visitors must observe silence during the trial or risk being sent out of the trial venue.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said the trial, which could last from 2 to 3 months, would cost P15 million.

The Senate will use its savings to fund the trial, according to Enrile.

The articles of impeachment were formally submitted by the House of Representatives to the Senate shortly before 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

The complaint was no longer referred to the committee level but was adopted by the Senate as a whole body.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Merci resign signature drive launched

Former Scout Ranger chief retired Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim has launched a signature campaign to force Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to resign from her position.

Lim, who is a now Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office consultant who was linked to 2 plots to overthrow the Arroyo government, said a number of people have already signed in the campaign drive.

The campaign was launched a day after the House impeached Gutierrez for alleged wrongdoings.

"We all saw the voting last night (at the House of Representatives). The sentiment of our people was overwhelming, as represented by their congressmen. There is strong clamor for her impeachment. She was in fact impeached and the articles of impeachment will now be forwarded to the Senate," Lim said.

"We urge her to resign to spare the country from another long and divisive experience. Our signature campaign is ongoing for her resignation," he added.

Interviewed after filing his application for amnesty in Camp Aguinaldo, Lim could not say how many signatures they have gained so far.

"We are now starting to go around for those who want to support and sign for this movement," he said, adding that all, including soldiers, are free to sign.

"All are welcome to sign, may they be soldiers or not," said Lim. "Our target is gather one million signatures. We will present this to public so the Ombudsman will be pressure to vacate her position," he said.

Ombudsman Gutierrez Impeachement Update

For the first time in Philippine history, the House of Representatives has impeached the Ombudsman.

In a vote taken on Tuesday morning, the House of Representatives mustered more than enough votes to impeach Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and try her before the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.

As the court that would hear the case, the Senate would need a two-thirds vote to boot Gutierrez out of office. Otherwise, she stays on as Ombudsman until she finishes her 7-year term in December 2012.

Lawmakers found enough evidence to have her tried for the following issues: low conviction rate and inaction on the NBN-ZTE scam, fertilizer fund scandal, "Euro generals" scandal, Mega-Pacific deal, and the Philip Pestaño case.

All six cases redound to a betrayal of public trust, sponsors of the Articles of Impeachment argued.

After almost 8 hours, 212 voted to impeach Gutierrez and have the impeachment articles transmitted to the Senate.

Forty-six dissented, while 4 abstained.



Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III told ANC that the final was corrected after some votes were mistakenly recorded.



Only 95 votes or one-third of the House members were needed to impeach.

The proceedings were hounded by accusations of lobbying from allies of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Earlier in the day, Rep. Edcel Lagman moved to have the impeachment proceedings “held in abeyance” absent an investigation into the “blackmail” text messages that made the rounds over the weekend.

Taking the floor early in the proceedings, Lagman said the text message “demeans the members of the House of Representatives as salivating mercenaries.”

The text message read that all those will vote no on the impeachment will have their Priority Development Assistance Fund withheld.

The minority was subsequently overruled by the majority.

Justice committee chair Niel Tupas Jr., the sponsor of the impeachment complaint, was later grilled for about 3 hours.

He stood his ground even if several minority lawmakers insisted he and his colleagues in the Justice committee did not have a strong case.

He was also questioned for supposedly rushing procedures before the committee. It went on to hear the case even if the Supreme Court has yet to make final a decision quashing a petition filed by Gutierrez.

Tupas insisted that it was the Ombudsman who is wanting in providing justice by delaying relevant decisions.

Those who acted as interpellators were: Representatives Lagman, Danilo Suarez, Rodante Marcoleta, Carlos Padilla, Augusto Syjuco, Rodolfo Albano, Mitos Magsaysay and Marc Cagas.



Palace welcomes Gutierrez impeachment

Malacañang, in a press statement, said the House of Representatives made history by approving the articles of impeachment against Gutierrez.

"By doing so, the House has put an end to the long era of impunity that tarnished our institutions and made a mockery of the bedrock principle of accountability enshrined in our Constitution," Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

"No one is above scrutiny and no one, particularly the brazen, can escape accountability," he added.

"The House, in transmitting the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, now has the task to vigorously and effectively make its case to the combined juries of the Senate sitting as the Court of Impeachment, and to the Filipino people who will be sitting in judgment on the entire process. This is the glory of democracy: where the law applies to all, where scrutiny exempts no one, and where accountability is for our institutions to exact," Lacierda said.

Senators had said the impeachment trial would most likely start when session resumes in May. Congress adjourns on March 25.