Arroyo critics see Cha-cha, Con-Ass in 'impeach Puno plan'
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 01/11/2009 7:57 PM
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Critics of President Arroyo on Sunday said that the alleged administration’s move to impeach Chief Justice Reynato Puno is tied to a “game plan for Charter change (Cha-cha) and allow Mrs. Arroyo to become prime minister.”
"Remove Chief Justice Puno and you give Charter Change a better chance in the Supreme Court (SC). The odds are a lot better for Cha-Cha proponents," said Makati Mayor Jejomar C. Binay who is United Opposition (UNO) president.
"The real reason that GMA's [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] allies want to oust Puno is because they know that with him at the court's helm, their Charter change plans will be difficult to achieve." UNO spokesman Atty. Adel S. Tamano said in a separate statement.
"Puno's impeachment may set the stage for a pro-GMA and pro-Cha cha Supreme Court sooner than expected with the retirement of several justices this year. The impeachment threat is politically motivated . It is intended to harass Puno who has taken relatively independent positions on issues vs Malacañang," said Gabirela Rep. Liza Maza in a text message to ABS-CBN News.
Resumption of session
Sen Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, meanwhile in another statement, said that the attempt to remove Puno comes as the 14th Congress is set to resume its second regular session on January 19.
Roxas said that he expects Arroyo’s allies to again raise the issue of launching a Constituent Assembly (Con Ass) to amend the Constitution.
The senator said that Malacañang is devising ways to control the SC to push for a “Gloria Forever Constitution” by “attacking the Chief Justice who is known for being independent.”
Critics of Con Ass have been raising the issue that the SC would be the final arbiter of a planned move in the House of Representatives to unilaterally call for a Constituent Assembly to change the Constitution without the concurrence of the Senate which has consistently opposed the idea.
"With the Senate's united stance against Cha-cha, Congress is left with no choice but to bring the matter to the SC. Only Arroyo and her allies would benefit from a Puno ouster," said College Editors Guild of the Philippines national president Vijae Alquisola.
Several weeks
Lawyer Midas Marquez, SC spokesman, meanwhile confirmed that the reports of an impeachment case being planned to be filed against Puno have indeed been going around.
“We've been hearing of the filing of impeachment case for the past several weeks from our friends and different sources,” Marquez told ABS-CBN News Dateline Sunday.
Marquez said a case pending in the SC may be the reason that would be raised in the reported Puno ouster moves.
“The only thing I can think of...pending case in the Supreme Court wherein congresswoman [Jocelyn] Limkaichong...there are efforts to unseat Congresswoman Limkaichong. That case is still pending with the court. The Chief Justice has been accused of sitting on that case,” said Marquez.
Marquez clarified however that the case is being deliberated by the court en banc. He said there was an initial draft which was signed by 14 justices but was not promulgated because they were still deliberating on the case.
He said the draft signed by the 14 justices was initially penned by Justice Ruben Reyes “but he has retired already so that's why the case is still pending.”
He said it was the decision of the SC to re-deliberate “and that is what they are accusing the chief justice of, of not promulgating the decision signed by the 14.” (Read: Election case wake-up call for Supreme Court)
He said that on Tuesday, on its first en banc session of the year, the case is on the agenda and that hopefully, the court can come out with a resolution soon.
Deliberate?
Binay meanwhile also warned of a different scenario in the administration moves for Cha-cha as well as the reports on ouster moves against the chief justice.
"Chief Justice Puno is a moral force, and his ouster would surely galvanize the opposition and move the people into action… Removing the chief justice so they can advance Cha Cha and prolong Mrs. Arroyo's grip on power is just too much. The people will not stand for it," Binay said in the statement.
Binay said that the “provocation could be deliberate.”
"The Arroyo administration is playing with fire. Either they are totally insensitive to public opinion and the sentiments of the Church, or they are deliberately provoking political unrest to such an extent that they could justify emergency rule. But they assume that the people will take all of these insults sitting down" he said.
Roxas also warned as much as he said the moves to attack Puno are evidence that Arroyo and her allies would insist on Charter change even as the people are opposed to it and “even at the expense of democracy.”
Thousands, including religious leaders, launched last December a rally against moves for Charter change and Con-Ass.
