NR0811:impeachment signatories should be allowed to participate in justice hearings

Mula sa Tanggapan ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran
News Release August 11, 2005
House of Representatives, South Wing Rm 602
931-6615 Ina Alleco R. Silverio, Chief of Staff
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All impeachment complaint signtories should be allowed to participate, ask questions in the justice committee hearings

Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today expressed offense over the decision of the House Committee on Justice to essentially close the impeachment complaint hearings to non-committee members.

“We signed the complaint, and we very much want to keep abreast of the developments. We want to monitor the deliberations and see and hear for ourselves how the Committee is handling the complaint,” he said, speaking for other non-member solons.

Beltran said that the impeachment complain hearings were even more important than the hearings on the ‘Hello, Garci’ wire-tapped conversations. “I attended every single hearing on that issue, and I was not a member of any of the committees that were in charge of it. It’s every lawmakers’ responsibility to attend deliberations on such crucial political issues, and I appeal to the leadership of the Justice Committee not to deny me or other legislators who signed the complaint but are not committee members to attend the hearings,” he said.

He also said that all members of the minority should be allowed to attend the hearings. According him it would be more logical and just to allow all solons who are endorsers of the complaint to the said deliberations.

“We’re the ones who filed the complaint, so we should be allowed to participate in the deliberations nevermind that we are not justice committee members. Non-signatories and especially solons who are openly and blatantly against the impeachment complaint will no doubt use every inch of their power and rights to have the complaint dismissed on the flimsiest grounds.“

“This is a case of the majority lording it over the minority and the majority is abusing its position to protect Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. This is deliberate, this is malicious, and it’s highly contemptible. This is not the rule of law, this is mob rule in Congress. The majority has the numbers to defeat the complaint, but it’s doing so by abusing their authority instead of resorting to fair and reasonable means.”#