‘Junking complaint could mean more woes for RP’

While Malacañang may see it as a victory, a business group that wants President Arroyo to resign views the dismissal of the impeachment complaints against her as a harbinger of more woes to come.

The Makati Business Club (MBC) said the decision of the House of Representatives committee on justice to junk the complaints might continue to hound the Arroyo administration.

"She will be handicapped by a cloud of doubt hanging over her as long as she serves in office. The country will also continue to be negatively affected by this continuing and unresolved controversy," it said in a statement.

Because of the dismissal, the public will never know the truth behind the allegations that Mrs. Arroyo cheated her way to victory in last year’s presidential election.

"The dismissal also deprives the President of the opportunity to clear her name and that of the Commission on Elections since she and her press secretary (Ignacio Bunye) have already admitted to the conversations and apologized for the lapse in judgment," the MBC added, referring to the wiretapped phone conversations purportedly between Mrs. Arroyo and an unidentified election official.

The MBC called on Congress to send the complaint to the Senate when the legislature deliberates on it.

"Only in doing so will this crisis continue toward resolution that would enable the country to move forward economically, socially and politically."

The MBC’s call for Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation has been questioned by some of its members, who said they were not consulted on the group’s public statement.

Key evidence includes purported wiretapped conversations between Mrs. Arroyo and an election official, believed to be former election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, allegedly discussing ways to ensure her victory.

Mrs. Arroyo has apologized for a "lapse in judgment" in calling an election officer during the vote count but refuses to step down, denying she manipulated the poll results. She has not identified the officer, but the opposition says it was Garcillano.