Where stands your congressman? - GOTCHA by Jarius Bondoc

And he promises to reform? Satan appeared to him and boomed, "I’ll get you out of this biggest crisis of your life, on condition that I’ll own your soul." And the man answered, "Duh, what’s the catch?"

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Opposition leaders should be happy. Congress has no more choice but to immediately impeach and convict Joseph Estrada. He already gave "extrajudicial confessions" in radio and press interviews that he did accept P200 million in jueteng payola from gambling buddy Chavit Singson. He may have claimed that Singson sent the dirty money to an unwitting aide for his Erap Muslim Youth Foundation, and that he learned about it only much later. But that’s of no merit, says lawyer-congressman Ernesto Herrera. For, Estrada also said that Singson had tried to bribe him as far back as April 1999, and that the money is intact in the bank waiting to be presented as evidence. Herrera says Estrada should have had Singson arrested long ago, and turned over the P200 million to the authorities as soon as he discovered its dirty source. That’s the duty of all citizens, much more the President who’s sworn to uphold the Constitution and law.

But Opposition leaders not smiling. They may have caught the fish by its mouth, but they can’t haul it in. Malacanang is determined to thwart the impeachment process through sly maneuverings. Senate President Frank Drilon and Speaker Manny Villar, who both bolted from the ruling LAMP last week, say that the Estrada himself is orchestrating the plot to unseat them today. The President has been calling his remaining loyalists in the Senate and House of Representatives to late-night meetings in which, like thieves in the dark, they whisper details on how to steal the people’s right to good government and transparent leadership.

Any impeachment case takes precedence over any other pending matter in Congress. Yet the loyalists are determined to vote in a new Senate President and Speaker as soon as sessions open at 4 p.m. Estrada hitmen Noli Fuentebella, Anthony Dequina and Francis Escudero make no bones about their plan. It doesn’t matter to them that more than 73 colleagues - one-third of the 219 House members, as the Constitution requires - have signed the endorsement to impeach. They say the leadership change won’t take 15 to 30 minutes, after which they’ll take up the impeachment case.

But their aim is obvious. Once they install their own Speaker, the pro-Estrada new majority will appoint the 11 congressman-prosecutors, in which "the minority will be represented." The idea is to pack the 11-man panel with Estrada loyalists – and a few guys from the genuine Opposition – to stage-manage the impeachment trial.

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It’s in the light of this plot that citizens must know where their congressmen stand. As of 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, when the protagonists started counting noses, congressmen were classified as follows:

• 83 have signed the endorsement to impeach, and also individually went to the House secretary-general to verify their signatures;

• 13 have signed, but haven’t verified their signatures yet;

• six had promised the Opposition that they’d sign, but have not done so; and

• 98 have vowed to fight impeachment and topple Villar.

One congressman is in prison; 18 others have yet to make known their stand.

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The 83 congressmen who have signed for impeachment are, by region:

Region I – Salacnib Baterina, Nani Braganza, Ranjit Shahani, Benjie Lim;

Region II – Florencio Abad, Sonny Alvarez, Jack Enrile, Carlos Padilla;

Region III – Tet Garcia, Lito Sarmiento, Pedro Panco, Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado, Pacifico Fajardo, Noynoy Aquino, James Gordon;

Region IV – Eddie Ermita, Ralph Recto, Plaridel Abaya, Edmundo Reyes, Renato Leviste, Alfredo Abueg, Vicente Sandoval, Marcial Punzalan, Bobby Tanada, Eleandro Madrona, Vic Sumulong;

Region V – Cielo Luistro, Leandro Vercelles, Rolando Andaya Jr., Jaime Jacob;

Region VI – Rolex Suplico, Raul Gonzalez, Julio Ledesma, Jun Lozada, Edith Villanueva;

Region VII – Erico Aumentado, Ernesto Herrera, Clavel Martinez, Raoul del Mar, Jacinto Paras, Nancy Cuenco, Orlando Fua;

Region VIII – Sergio Apostol, Romualdo Vicencio, Antonio Nachura;

Region IX – Gerry Salapuddin, Alejandro Urro;

Region X – Juan Miguel Zubiri, Hilarion Ramiro Jr., Oscar Moreno, Neric Acosta;

Region XI – Rogelio Sarmiento, Manuel Garcia, Douglas Cagas, Joel Almario, Pantaleon Alvarez, Prospero Amatong, Rodrigo Duterte;

Region XII – Alipio Badelles;

Region XIII – Roan Libarios; Prospero Pichay, Robert Ace Barbers;

ARMM – Nur Jaafar, Simeon Datumanong;

CAR – Ronald Cosalan, Laurence Wacnang, Josie Dominguez, Elias Bulut;

NCR – Rico Echiverri, Manny Villar, Joker Arroyo, Federico Sandoval, Ernesto Nieva, Romeo Candazo, Ignacio Bunye, Roilo Golez, Sonny Belmonte, Mike Defensor, Dante Liban, Allan Peter Cayetano, Magtanggong Gunigundo, Harry Angpin, Sandy Ocampo.

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Their constituents might want to call the 13 congressmen who’ve signed but not verified their signatures – to find out why. Here are their names, province or city, and Batasan phone number:

Pampanga, Juan Pablo Bondoc, 931-6504; Francis Nepomuceno, 931-5106; Oscar Rodriguez, 931-5535; Mindoro Oritental, Manuel Andaya, 931-6142; Sorsogon, Rodolfo Gonzales, 931-6063; Iloilo, Ninfa Garin, 931-5819; Bohol, Eladio Jala, 931-5492; Sulu, Hussin Amin, 931-6212; Davao del Norte, Tony Floirendo, 931-6337; Davao del Sur, Franklin Bautista, 931-5286; Davao Oriental, Elena Palma-Gil, 931-5922; Lanao del Norte, Abdullah Mangotara, 931-6413; Manila, Rodolfo Bacani, 931-6283.

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Their constituents might also wish to call the six who’ve promised to sign but have not done so – again if only to find out why:

Isabela, Ramon Reyes, 931-5465; Bulacan, Ricardo Silverio, 931-6686; Batangas, Jose Macario Laurel IV, 931-5504; Guimaras, Emily Lopez, 931-6311; Bukidnon, Reginald Tilanduca, 931-5769; Lanao del Sur. Mamintal Adiong, 931-5445.

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And the 98 congressmen who will stay with Estrada:

Region I – Rudy Farinas, Imee Marcos, Grace Singson, Tomas Dumpit, Manuel Ortega, Teodoro Cruz, Amadeo Perez, Generoso Tulagan;

Region II – Rudy Aguinaldo, Edgar Lara, Rodolfo Albano III,

Faustino Dy, Angela Cua;

Region III – Antonino Roman, Simeon Garcia, Josefina Joson, Julita Villareal, Zenaida Ducut, Jesli Lapuz, Gilbert Teodoro, Antonio Diaz;

Region IV – Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, Edgar Mendoza, Napoleon Heratio, Ireneo Maliksi, Danton Bueser, Joaquin Chipeco, Uliran Joaquin, Rodolfo San Luis, Ricardo Quintos, Rafael Nantes, Danny Suarez, Bibit Duavit, Isidro Rodriguez;

Region V – Jose Salceda, Roy Padilla, Salvio Fortuno, Noli Fuentebella, Emilio Espinosa, Vida Espinosa, Fausto Seachon, Francis Escudero;

Region VI – Allen Quimpo, Jovito Plameras, John Orola, Vicente Andaya, Narciso Monfort, Manuel Parcon, Augusto Syjuco, Genaro Alvarez, Carlos Cojuangco, Alfredo Maranon;

Region VII – Joseph Durano, Efren Herrera, Simeon Kintanar, Antonio Yapha, Emilio Macias, Herminio Teves;

Region VIII – Gerry Espina, Marcelino Libanan, Victoria Locsin, Catalina Go, Alfredo Romualdez, Eduardo Veloso, Harlin Abayon, Aniceto Saludo, Rodolfo Tuazon;

Region IX – Asani Tammang, Celso Lobregat, Roseller Barinaga, Angeles Carloto, Aurora Cerilles, George Hofer;

Region X – Constantino Jaraula, Jurdin Romualdo, Augusto Baculio;

Region XI – Lualhati Antonino, Daisy Fuentes, Angelo Montilla;

Region XII – Anthony Dequina, Gregorio Ipong;

Region XIII – Leovigildo Banaag, Alex Bascug, Constantino Navarro, Jesnar Falcon;

ARMM – Benasing Macarambon, Didagen Dilangalen;

CAR – Vicente Valera, Bernardo Vergara, Benjamin Cappleman;

NCR – Luis Asistio, Butz Aquino, Neptali Gonzales Jr., Joey Hizon, Rolando Briones, Henry Lanot, Rey Calalay, Jose Mari Gonzalez.

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You can e-mail comments to jariusbondoc@workmail.com