Trojan horses seen in impeachment

The leader of the opposition in the House of Representatives said Malacañang, through its allies in Congress, is bent on "putting Trojan horses in the (impeachment) prosecution team" by ousting Speaker Manuel Villar Jr. and seizing control of the chamber.

Minority Leader Feliciano Belmonte Jr. (Lakas, Quezon City) said yesterday the Pa-lace seemed bent on "watering down and diluting the seriousness of the impeachment complaint and sabotaging the impeachment process" against President Estrada.

The camp of Villar remained confident of their strength. They claimed having "more than the necessary numbers" to defeat the plan of the President’s allies.

Belmonte made the accusation just hours after Rep. Anthony Dequina (LAMP, North Cotabato), one of the plotters of the move to unseat Villar, admitted that if his group succeeds, it will choose impeachment prosecutors who are against the impeachment process.

Dequina told radio station dzMM that the prosecution panel to be chosen by the new majority once Villar is ousted "will include the opposition, hindi lang mayorya (not just the majority)."

Belmonte reiterated that the minority and most of the 115 congressmen who signed the impeachment petition will support Villar and prevent the weakening of the constitutional process of removing the President.

He suggested that if the oust-Villar plotters want to choose prosecutors sympathetic to the President, "they can join the defense panel and report to Chief Justice (Andres) Narvasa (Mr. Estrada’s chief counsel) for assignment."

He stressed that the prosecution panel should be composed of congressmen who support the impeachment process, and not those who are opposed to it.

Belmonte pointed out that Malacañang’s efforts to sabotage the impeachment process is evident even in some sectors of the media, where practitioners are now singing a different tune.

He revealed that such efforts are being orchestrated by Ambassador Ernesto Maceda, who, he said, is the new head of the Palace crisis team.

In a related development, the oust-Villar plotters could not agree among themselves whom they would support as Villar’s replacement. The contenders are Reps. Danilo Suarez (Lamp, Quezon), Arnulfo Fuentebella (Lamp, Camarines Sur) and Augusto Syjuco (Lamp, Iloilo), who has reportedly backed out of the race.

Fuentebella, however, reiterated his commitment to the public that their planned election of a new speaker will not in anyway impede the impeachment proceedings. "We do not take this commitment lightly. The Filipino people have our word that we will transmit the complaint and endorsement to the Senate on Monday," he said.

Rep. Eduardo Veloso added that the opposition will be "very well represented through the Committee of 11 who will act as prosecutors during the trial stage in the Senate."

And in a strange twist, Makati Rep. Agapito Aquino said on radio that he was emerging as a dark horse for the Speakership. He expressed willingness to go for the post provided the move to replace Villar be made only after the impeachment case has been forwarded to the Senate.

In the face of the Dequina’s statement, Villar said there is now more reason for the House to give No. 1 priority to the impeachment case on Monday, when Congress resumes session.

"The moves by Malacañang to change the leadership should be held in abeyance until the impeachment petition is sent to the Senate and the prosecutors are chosen. These moves will only delay the proceedings," he said.

Villar said preparations are now being made to get this task done quickly, since the President himself has professed eagerness to face an impeachment trial in the Senate.

"After the impeachment issue is disposed of, we can tackle the leadership question, and I am ready to face them," he added.

He stressed that every day that the constitutional process of removing the President is delayed, the economy suffers.

Belmonte said that no House member should believe the claim of the anti-Villar group that the impeachment issue is not related to their move to oust the Speaker.

"They had all the time to remove him since July 1998, when the 11th Congress convened. Why only now, when Speaker Villar will be out in three to four months since he plans to run for senator?" he said.

For his part, Assistant Minority Leader Oscar Moreno (Lakas, Misamis Oriental) said Dequina’s statement on dzMM revealed the real intention of the plotters of Villar’s ouster.

"If they succeed, they will make a mockery of the constitutional process of impeachment. I hope my colleagues in the other camp see through this ploy," he said.

He said if the plotters succeed in their "outlandish" plan to name prosecutors loyal to the President, "that will destroy the House as an institution."

In his radio interview, Dequina said members of the prosecution panel will be chosen by whichever majority bloc that is in control of the House Monday.

"Kung sila ang mayorya, bahala sila kung sino and ilagay nila. Kung kami naman ang mayorya, siguro naman igagalang nila ang desisyon namin (If they have the majority, they can choose the prosecutors. If we have the majority, they should respect our decision)," he said.

He said if they succeed in ousting Villar, they intend to "include" Deputy Minority Leader Sergio Apostol and Makati Rep. Joker Arroyo in the prosecution panel.

He admitted that what they plan to do with the panel could be seen as a moro-moro (show), but that the House rules provide that if they have the majority, they have the free hand in selecting the panel members.