'No impeachment vs Merci until Supreme Court issues ruling'

MANILA, Philippines - Impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez in the House of Representatives remain suspended until the Supreme Court (SC) rules on her petition to stop the hearings on the complaints filed against her, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday.

Belmonte said the House will submit on or before Oct. 27 a summary of its arguments against the SC’s interference on its constitutional right to initiate impeachment proceedings against an official.

He said the counsel of the chamber, Prof. Marvic Leonen, dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law, has assured him that the

arguments of the House are solid.

"As long as there is no clear cut decision by the Supreme Court, I will definitely discourage the justice committee from hearing the case," Belmonte told reporters. “There are other measures pending before the committee and they can go ahead and meet on that."

Congress resumes session on Nov. 8.

The House committee on justice, chaired by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas, is expected to act on other measures pending before the panel, including the granting of amnesty to rebel soldiers.

Chief Justice Renato Corona has said the Court can review the actions of Congress and the executive department. The SC has issued a status quo ante order stopping the hearings. The House, in turn, has asked the Court to lift the order and to respect its “exclusive power” in initiating the impeachment complaint against Gutierrez.

The House said the order “emasculates the power of the House of Representatives to exact any form of accountability” from the Ombudsman, and gives Gutierrez “the status of an untouchable.”

“That’s how he (Corona) understands it. And I can understand it also but we have our own understanding of the case, basically, we were just starting (the impeachment proceedings),” Belmonte said.

“But even if we don’t agree with them, we have to abide with whatever ruling they will hand down.”

The complaints were separately filed by militant party-list groups Akbayan and Bayan Muna who wanted Gutierrez ousted for violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust for supposedly sitting on corruption cases against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now a Pampanga representative.

Paolo Romero, Philippine Star