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UNFAZED. President Arroyo, shown in photo with Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte, is not at all alarmed by destabilization moves of the opposition. |
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Rehashed political ploy, says Cong. Villafuerte
The new impeachment charges against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will not prosper according to Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte (2nd District, Camarines Sur) because most alleged offenses are recycled charges already dismissed by the House of Representatives.
Saying that the renewed impeachment charges are plain political propaganda of the desperate opposition, Congressman Villafuerte said that under the law not more than one impeachment complaint may be filed within one year against the President yet present impeachment charges were filed before the one-year period expired.
He also pointed out that there is a principle in the constitution for which a decision has been rendered by the Supreme Court in which the President cannot be held liable in an impeachment case for alleged acts committed before her term or outside of her current term.
President Arroyo could thus be charged only in the impeachment case for acts committed after noontime of June 30, 2004.
Other charges cannot be considered as culpable violation of the Constitution and therefore not impeachable offenses.
Congressman Villafuerte said that in the case of the alleged irregularity in the North Railway, the officers of the concerned government corporation who have separate juridical personality may be charged in the trial court but not the President.
Similarly, if journalists are killed then the perpetrators of the crime should be charged and not the President who has nothing to do with the crime. Some journalists were killed allegedly because they have been extorting money from aggrieved private citizens.
Congressman Villafuerte deplored that this current political propaganda disguised as impeachment case will only serve to weaken the economy and adversely affect the lives of people instead of helping them.
He also said it is regrettable that former Vice President Teofisto Guingona has called for civil disobedience including non-payment of taxes.
“It is unfortunate that Guingona is trying to mislead the people to commit an act which he himself or his family would not in conscience do,” Congressman Villafuerte said.
Many of the opposition leaders are driving people to commit radical and irrational acts in the process exposing their lives to danger but in the end they would wash their hands clean and blame the President for whatever happened to people hoodwinked to do violence or illegal acts,” Villafuerte said.
