‘Cold neutrality’ vowed in impeach case

The chairman of the House committee on justice vowed yesterday to pursue with “cold neutrality” the impeachment complaint filed against President Arroyo scheduled for deliberation tomorrow.

Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor said the committee will begin its deliberations beginning tomorrow to determine whether the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Roel Pulido can pass merit.

“The hearings will be open and transparent, and it will be deliberated with cold neutrality,” Defensor told the weekly Kapihan sa Sulo Hotel forum.

He said as far as the committee is concerned, the legal process of impeaching the President has been initiated and throwing aside other complaints within one year as required under the Constitution.

He said the committee will deliberate on the sufficiency of form and substance of the complaint.

If it passes all the legal requirements, Defensor said they will send notice to the President to answer the allegations in the complaint before endorsing it for plenary debates for final deliberation. – Perseus Echeminada