GMA: A win for the Filipino people

President Arroyo hailed yesterday the resolution of the impeachment controversy as a "win for the Filipino people" after the House of Representatives voted to trash the second impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.

"This is a historic win for the Filipino people. We are a nation victorious and united under democracy, justice and reconciliation," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo lauded the results of the voting in the House, 115-77, as consistent with the Supreme Court ruling last Monday that declared the second impeachment complaint unconstitutional.

"It is a moment of pride as the three great powers of government come together in an expression of faith in each other and in a stable national future," the President said.

She expressed confidence that the executive, legislative and judiciary "can now buckle down to their respective duties, unhampered by controversy and uncertainty."

Mrs. Arroyo, however, renewed her appeal for all leaders of the country to engage in "conciliatory statesmanship" and put the impeachment issue to rest.

"Let us gather behind the law and the Constitution. The entire government has spoken and I call for conciliatory statesmanship among all our leaders. Let us put this issue to rest and restore the prime agenda of nation building," she said.

The President expressed her satisfaction that fears of a constitutional crisis brought on by the impeachment impasse did not come true.

"Never have I doubted... the capacity of our government for self-repair and self-redemption. I’m glad at the positive response of the various sectors of our society," she said.

The President vowed that "we shall use our newfound unity to drive the face of reform, poverty alleviation and order."

But when push comes to shove, Mrs. Arroyo said she will impose upon the House to uphold the Supreme Court ruling.

She stressed the two higher branches of government — the executive and legislative — are "duty bound" to recognize the interpretation of the high tribunal of the Constitution, the court being "the sole authority to interpret the law."

"As an executive, I am also duty bound to carry out whatever instructions or executions I would have to do if it would ever come to anything like that though I don’t expect that to happen," the President said in an interview on ANC’s "Talkback" program Monday night.

The Supreme Court decision shows that the country’s democratic and constitutional processes are "strong and solid," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo took exception to charges that she was too late to stop the impeachment process, entering the picture when the complaint was already signed by more than the required number of congressmen for its transmittal to the Senate.

"I think I came early because we defeated the first impeachment decisively," she said, noting that while the defeat was being confirmed on the floor, "suddenly the second impeachment which has been lying in the committee for a long time received so many signatures that (it) bypassed the committee process altogether."

Impeachment Bid Not Over

Opposition lawmakers warned it was not yet over after House Minority Leader Carlos Padilla filed a motion for reconsideration before the House seeking to overturn its decision recognizing the authority of the Supreme Court.

Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen said the motion will be tackled today.

Dilangalen and Iloilo Rep. Rolex Suplico said the impeachment complaint against Davide was not dead because more than one-third of the 226 congressmen still supported it, meeting the required number for transmittal to the Senate.

The President commended Speaker Jose de Venecia for staking his leadership of the House, a move that secured the resolution of the impeachment controversy.

She vowed that she and her allies will rally around De Venecia for him not to lose his post as speaker. He declared he was "constrained to respect the decision of the Supreme Court," effectively derailing the transmittal of the articles of impeachment to the Senate Monday.

"Certainly I would call on our allies to support Speaker De Venecia. He has laid his position on the line (for) what we all recognize as an important constitutional principle and that is the power of the Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo also said she will not budge from her position recognizing the Supreme Court’s authority to interpret the Constitution.

"It doesn’t change my position. The Supreme Court has spoken and therefore we have to recognize (its) interpretation and we must be ready to carry out what it instructs," she said.

The President explained that even as she was looking for a "unifying" solution, she has consistently said she respects the authority of the Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution.

She believes that the House and the Supreme Court "will act in congruence and (in) faith with the highest national interest in mind."

‘Unifying Solution’ Needed

Mrs. Arroyo reiterated her call for a "unifying solution" which she said "may be less dramatic and less heroic" but is the kind a "statesman" must look for in crisis situations.

A "divisive solution" will benefit neither the poor nor the business community, she pointed out.

The President cited that "historically" the country is divided between the rich and the poor, a situation she fears will be exploited again by forces seeking to destabilize her government.

Refusing to identify these forces, the President warned the government will file cases against them when it is "ready." She did not elaborate.

She cited the May 1, 2001 siege on Malacañang by supporters of jailed former President Joseph Estrada who was ousted from power by a military-backed uprising that catapulted then Vice President Gloria Arroyo to the presidency.

Mrs. Arroyo noted how "speeches" from personalities who attended the so-called EDSA III uprising by the poor incited the people to assault the Palace.

She admitted that based on surveys, "a very large" number of people still believe the government has been "unjust" to Estrada.

These "deep divisions in the country" are also caused by communist and Muslim rebels but the government is pursuing peace talks with both groups, Mrs. Arroyo said.

She reiterated "reconciliation is the only way" to reach out to the Estrada’s avid supporters, most of whom belong to the urban poor.

In declaring her candidacy for the May 2004 elections, Mrs. Arroyo said she hopes to be a "unifying force," implementing reforms and achieving reconciliation to push the country forward.

Mrs. Arroyo said her proposed draft covenant can still be used even though the impeachment impasse has been resolved.

"If it will help to restate the principles of constitutional stability, and if it will help to bring about a unified stand on the parliamentary situation of the articles of impeachment," she said.

The President added that the covenant "is not inconsistent with the Supreme Court ruling… If it will be able to promote conciliatory statesmanship, then it’s still something that we can look at."

Interviewed over ANC’s "Talkback," the President said her proposed covenant remains "relevant" even with the high tribunal’s ruling.

"The first part of the covenant reiterates the constitutional principles about the different roles of the different branches of government and it spells out the principles regarding these very sensitive and I would say, precedent-setting issues regarding oversight functions," she said.

The proposed draft covenant calls for the withdrawal of the impeachment complaint, which accuses Davide of allegedly misusing the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF), and remanding it to the House committee on justice for deliberation.

The covenant also called for the Supreme Court to continue to fully cooperate with the Commission on Audit on the issue of JDF disbursements.