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Eleven Malacañang critics on Wednesday asked for an
amendment of the impeachment complaint filed against of President
Gloria Arroyo before the House Secretary-General.
The amendment is to include in
the impeachment complaint the aborted memorandum of agreement on
ancestral domain (MOA-AD) between the government and Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF), which the Supreme Court recently declared
as unconstitutional.
However, the move created
division among impeachment proponents in the House after Reps. Satur
Ocampo and Teodoro “Teddy” Casiño of Bayan Muna, expressed
reservation to the filing of the motion to intervene over possible
technicalities.
House Justice Committee Chairman
and Rep. Matias Defensor of Quezon City warned the inclusion of any
amendment or supplement in the first impeachment complaint could be
a ground for its dismissal on the basis of technicality.
The intervenors to latest
impeachment case are Manuel Quezon 3rd, retired Gen. Fortunato Abat,
Marck Ronald Rimorin, Edwin Lacierda, Jeremy Gatdula, Arbet
Bernardo, Maria Jose, Richard Rivera, Pitch Mangondato, Jose Arce
Jr. and Ed Bacungan.
They stressed their action is not
tantamount to amending the impeachment complaint.
However, Deputy Speaker for
Mindanao and Rep.
Simeon Datumanong of Maguindanao
urged the 11 intervenors to wait for next year as their action is
tantamount to filing another
impeachment complaint, which is barred under the Constitution.
The original impeachment
complaint primarily raised issues of alleged anomalies in the
national broadband deal and the NorthRail project, along with human
rights violations.
--Jomar Canlas
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