MBC statement on impeachment process

2 September 2005 - The Makati Business Club is appalled at the turn of events in Congress with the dismissal of all three impeachment complaints. Legal and Constitutional experts such as Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ and others have already expressed their opinion that all three complaints could be combined into a single proceeding in the House Committee on Justice. Majority Congressman Teddy Locsin has also argued that the complaints should be considered as having been filed at the same time in the committee since all were introduced on the first session day of Congress.

With the dismissal of the complaints by the House Committee on Justice, the public may never know the truth behind the allegations. The dismissal also deprives the President of the opportunity to clear her name and that of the Commission on Elections since she and her Press Secretary have already admitted to the conversations and she has apologized for her "lapse in judgment". Thus, she will be handicapped by a cloud of doubt hanging over her as long as she serves in office. The country will also continue to be negatively affected by this continuing and unresolved controversy.

For the good of the nation and in fairness to the Filipino people, we would urge Congress in plenary to vote to consolidate these complaints and transmit the case to the Senate for trial so that the process by which the public may eventually discover the truth and the President be given her chance to clear her name can proceed unhampered by controversy. Only in doing so will this crisis continue towards resolution that would enable the country to move forward economically, socially, and politically.