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[av_heading heading=’BENEATH & BEYOND | The numbers game’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY SONIA D. DAQUILA
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Monday, March 27, 2017
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ONCE impeached, Vice President Leni Robredo or President Rodrigo Duterte will surely cause a furor among the Filipinos.
Impeachment is the filing of a formal complaint against any impeachable government official such as the president, the vice president of the Philippines, justices of the Supreme Court, members of Constitutional Commissions and the Ombudsman, and the grounds can be any of the following: culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes or betrayal of public trust. The limit is that, only one impeachment complaint may be filed in a year. Regardless of its defect in form or content, one attempt can bar subsequent ones within a year.
While impeachment is a prelude to a trial before the Senate, both processes (impeachment and trial before the senator-jurors) are a numbers game.
Being impeached does not mean conviction. Impeachment requires only one third vote of the 292 members of the House of Representatives, thus, getting 97 votes is sufficient for an impeachment complaint to take off. The supermajority is just on the beck and call of the President. These 200 members can easily kill any attempt to impeach anyone, but it will be a litmus test for the senators of their independence, integrity and sensibility.
On the other hand, the claim that the House of Representatives is not a rubber stamp is something to be doubted. Don’t forget what happened to those who did not vote for death penalty, being stripped off of their leadership or chairmanships in certain committees.
We are already deluged with so many problems. So, “leave us well enough alone.” When the government rowers row the boat in different directions, the boat just go round and round. When they paddle the boat, unmindful of the depth or shallowness of the sea, we may all sink. (delsocorrodaquila@gmail.com/PN)
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