Solons Gang up on Chiz for Disrespect of Charter

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Manila Standard Today, July 12, 2005

Proadministration lawmakers yesterday censured Minority Leader Francis Escudero of Sorsogon for alleged disrespect to the House of Representatives and the Constitution for claiming that the impeachment process against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was nothing but a trap to reel in the opposition.

“His (Escudero’s) statement is disrespectful of the very institution which he belongs and to the Constitution that he has sworn to uphold,” Majority Leader Prospero Nograles of Davao City said.

Antique Rep. Exequiel Javier said Escudero could be playing his role as leader of the opposition in the House but he could have done it tactfully.

“The oppositionists are obviously frustrated with the failure of their oust-GMA move but they should not be manifesting this frustration by assailing our democratic institutions and the rule of law,” Javier said.

Nograles advised Escudero not to allow his emotions to overpower his responsibility as a member of Congress and should conduct himself in a responsible manner.

Meantime, Reps. Abraham Mitra of Palawan and Benasing Macarambon of Lanao del Sur said the political opposition is choosing to ignore the Church position to push for unlawful ouster of Ms. Arroyo.

“The opposition’s insistence to turn away from the Church’s suggested course of action was a virtual rejection of divine guidance as embodied in the position of the two largest groups of Christian leaders,” the two administration lawmakers said.

For his part, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said last Friday’s events which saw the resignation of eight Cabinet men and two bureau directors was engineered by anti-GMA groups to sway the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines into joining the call for her resignation.

“Fortunately, the bishops were not influenced by the withdrawal of support by former President Cory Aquino, Senate President Franklin and a faction of Liberal Party and by the 10 adventurist Cabinet men,” Salceda said. “I believe the bishops were turned off by an overly ambitious, gravely fragmented and equally tainted opposition.”

But Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos said the swelling dissent and the polarization of forces within the government and the business sector only showed how weak President Arroyo’s leadership has become in finding ways to deal with the crisis gripping her administration.

“It is clear Ms. Arroyo no longer has moral ascendancy to govern. The ugly bickering within her Cabinet has brought instability to the government and the polarization of forces will definitely led to her downfall.”

Rep. Liza Maza of the party list Gabriela said President Arroyo must not gloat over the CBCP’s statement by thinking that the whole Catholic kingdom has suspended calls for her resignation.

“Let her fall into complacency as she thinks the good bishops will shield her from being ousted eventually. This will make her fall harder from grace. This is pitiable,” she said.