Impeachment killing will prolong the political crisis facing the country

August 17, 2006

Impeachment killing will prolong the political crisis facing the country

It is saddening to note a fact that the House Committee on Justice – dominated by allies of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – has voted to kill the impeachment complaint and prolong the political crisis facing the country.

The most rabid defenders of the current intolerant and punitive administration used shallow technicalities to protect a Presidentwhos is primarily accused to be command-responsible for the extra-judicial killings of 728 civilians and 128 enforced disappearances since she assumed office in 2001. They wasted the opportunity to set a Congressional function in motion and give Mrs. Arroyo and appropriate venue to rebut the charges against her.

Contrary to what Malacañang spin doctors allege, Macapagal-Arroyo is horrified at the contents of the impeachment complaint that was killed by her allies in Congress since damning evidence backing up the grave charges against her can and will fuel her ouster from office.

What the administration succeeded in doing was to ignore the people’s desire to find out the truth if Mrs. Arroyo is guilty for (1) the illegal diversion of farmers’ fertilizer funds and health care trust funds of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for her 2004 election campaign kitty, (2) widespread cheating in the elections, (3) the systematic violations of human rights and crimes against humanity, and (4) graft and
corruption.

The political crisis could have possibly been resolved by the impeachment process. But the administration’s allies in Congress have chosen to shut down this avenue to ferret out the truth if the allegations against the President are true or not.

Mrs. Arroyo and her allies are gravely mistaken. The political crisis will bedevil her administration to the end.

The people are left with no other option except the parliament of the streets. This is where the people will serve the appropriate verdict to a president whose hands are bloodied by her crimes of omission and commission against the Filipino people. #