By a vote of 54-4, the House committee on justice headed by administration ally and Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. junked the three impeachment complaints against President Benigno Aquino III due to insufficiency in substance.
The four lawmakers who endorsed the complaints, namely Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio and Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus, maintained that the President knowingly violated the Constitution when he authorized the diversion of some P144 billion in public funds to other government projects under his Disbursement Acceleration Program, parts of which have been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
A committee report will be sent to the plenary for action within 60 session days. A vote of at least one-third of the 290 House members is needed to finally bury the impeachment complaints against the President.
Meanwhile, Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said the people must continue to seek accountability elsewhere as it is untenable that the P144 billion in DAP funds used as presidential pork is considered by the justice committee not severe enough to merit impeachment. He added that the venue for accountability such as the impeachment process is being shut close by Aquino’s allies.
