Other means

While the CBCP has repeatedly called on the government to "relentlessly pursue" the truth behind the allegations of poll fraud against the President through "constitutional and peaceful means", her allies in the Lower House continue to use their overwhelming advantage in numbers to prevent the impeachment complaint/s filed in pursuit of this "truth" from even reaching first base. Such oppressive tactic would have elicited indignation among Filipinos who love the underdog. But there seems to be no groundswell of public outrage against this tactic. And the reasons are plenty and obvious.

First of all, many people are beginning to believe that impeachment may not be the proper remedy to find out the alleged "truth" behind the allegations of poll fraud. And the "impeachers" themselves may be blamed for such belief. They continue to challenge the legitimacy of this government in their impeachment complaint despite the presumption of its legitimacy after it has been duly proclaimed by Congress. Such legitimacy can be challenged on the ground of alleged poll fraud only before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal rather than before Congress in an impeachment case. This challenge has already been done but has failed due to the untimely demise of the main challenger. So instead of still questioning the legitimacy of this government, the impeachers should have stressed in their impeachment complaint the impeachable offense of betrayal of public trust or culpable violation of the Constitution in connection with their allegations of poll fraud arising from the "Hello Garci" taped conversation. They should realize that impeachment is a remedy only against legitimate high ranking officials committing impeachable offenses. Attacking the legitimacy of this government in the impeachment complaint itself is thus erroneous. It only gives some semblance of merit in the contention that impeachment is not the proper remedy.

To be sure, the number of private citizen-complainants signing the impeachment complaint and the number of times it is filed may be more effective propaganda wise. But in the impeachment process, they are not as important as the number and kind of Congressmen endorsing the complaint. This is a numbers game played by the Congressmen themselves inside the Lower House. A big number of citizens may be supporting the impeach GMA move but most if not all of its backers in Congress simply do not inspire a massive outpouring of support by the citizens because of their motives. People only see the same kind of faces who were once in power and who would like to return to power again using the same apparently legitimate route taken by those who grabbed power from them. The absence of any significant improvement in governance after People Power II that was precipitated by aborting the Estrada impeachment is enough reason for Filipinos not to plunge into another people power. People now realize that people power is useless and has not served its purpose. This is the difference between the Estrada and the GMA impeachment. If the on going impeachment is suppressed once more, Filipinos are not likely to stage another people power. They’ve had enough of it.

During the Estrada impeachment that led to a successful people power, bold and credible witnesses like Chavit Singson and Clarissa Ocampo came out and openly declared everything they know about their personal encounters and experiences within the corridors of power that spelled the doom of the man in Malacanang. In the present impeachment process, no such witnesses have surfaced. Only Garcillano and Bolante could have made damaging disclosures but both made disappearing acts when the heat was on. Up to now, Bolante is still "missing" while Garcillano has not changed his tune disowning the voice at the other end of an authentically doubtful taped conversation; while other witnesses who volunteered to "sing" have such shadowy reputation to be taken seriously. With such diverse personalities and circumstantial backgrounds, don’t expect the GMA impeachment to have the same ending as the Estrada impeachment.

The endless partisan political strife occasioned by these impeachment moves has already caused so much damage to our country. Its about time we try other constitutional and peaceful means to arrive at the truth. Criminal charges should be filed against those whose links to the election frauds and other election irregularities are already established. The likes of Garcillano, and other Comelec Commissioners aside from Borra, who is obviously a mere sacrificial lamb, should be charged. The case against Bolante should also be pursued with dispatch. All these moves entirely depend on the Ombudsman. So far, the signals coming from her office are not so encouraging. I hope she realizes that the peaceful and constitutional means are also bound to run out.

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