Noy unfazed by impeach raps – Palace

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is not at all bothered by the three impeachment complaints filed against him at the House of Representatives that are scheduled to be taken up by the House leadership this week, Press Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said yesterday.

“Hindi nababahala ang Pangulo doon sa mga proceedings na iyan dahil panatag naman siya na wala siyang nagawang ano mang impeachable offense. Kaya hindi iyan ang prayoridad ng Pangulo (The President is not bothered with those proceedings since he is confident that he has not committed any impeachable offense. So that’s not the President’s priority),” he reiterated.

In his regular weekend interview over state-run radio station dzRB, Coloma explained that Aquino has higher priorities to continue the reforms and maintain the country’s road to progress.

Coloma, head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, said they will just monitor the scheduled hearings of the House committee on justice, whose chairman is Aquino’s close friend and ally Iloilo Niel Tupas Jr.

The House justice committee officials and members should decide among themselves on what course of action to take on the three impeachment complaints against Aquino, including two charges connected to the nullified Disbursement Acceleration Program and the last over the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) of the Philippines and the United States.

Coloma said that as a co-equal and independent branch of government, they will respect whatever the chamber’s decision on the matter.

More than 200 of the 280-member House belong to the administration coalition of the ruling Liberal Party, where Aquino is party chairman.  – With Paolo Romero, Manny Galvez