Deputy House Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III (Quezon, 4th District) Saturday stressed the importance of airing strong public opinion for the removal of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez from office as the move to impeach her is put to a vote at the House today.

Tañada, who attended the fiesta of Sagay City in Negros Occidental, said while he believes the House will vote for her impeachment, strong public opinion could help the move succeed in the Senate.

Tañada appealed to the congressmen of Negros Occidental, who are part of the majority coalition, to vote for the impeachment of Gutierrez.

“They will vote for it if they are really concerned in trying to promote good governance, accountability and transparency,” he said.

A DAILY STAR survey yesterday showed only two Negros Occidental congressmen will vote yes to the impeachment, two were undecided, while three others did not reply.

Rep. Alfredo Marañon III (Neg. Occ., 2nd District) and Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said they will vote yes to the impeachment of Gutierrez.

“There are sufficient probable causes to warrant a trial. Furthermore, I believe public officials should uphold the highest standard of integrity,” Benitez said.

Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District) said she will know today how she will vote. “I’m still studying the complaint,” she said.

Rep. Anthony Golez (Bacolod) said “The impeachment proceeding that will happen soon against the Ombudsman is considered to be the most serious move to happen in the history of our country. The decision that each representative in the House will make shall only be based whether or not  there is probable cause or neglect of duty as alleged in the impeachment complaint.”

“It is imperative for us in Congress that we thoroughly review the case and at  present I am in that process…then soon  after I will internalize, reflect and finally decide based on the merits of the case,” Golez added.

Rep.  Julio Ledesma IV (Neg. Occ., 1st District), Rep. Jeffrey  Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District) and Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr. (Neg. Occ, 5th District) did not reply.

Tañada said Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. (Iloilo, 5th District) and possibly two other solons will sponsor the resolution for impeachment and the House will allow the minority to sponsor their opposition.

After that it will be put to a vote that is not expected to take too long because the congressmen will not be asked to explain their position immediately after they cast their vote unlike before. Those who want to explain their votes will be allowed to do so after all 285 congressmen have voted, he explained.

Tañada said he thinks they have the numbers in the House to impeach Gutierrez, having surpassed 100, with the target at 150 votes.

If the resolution to impeach wins in the House, It will then go to the Senate whose members will decide whether to convict or acquit Gutierrez, he said.

If they vote to convict on even only one of six matters charged against her, she will be removed from office, he said.

She is charged for failure to act on the fertilizer scam, Euro generals, MegaPacific, Philippine National Broadband Network controversy and the death of ensign Philip Pestaño cases, and for the low conviction rate at her office, Tañada said.

In the House, one third  of the members are needed to impeach, while in the Senate two thirds are needed to convict, he explained, adding that the trial could be finished before they adjourn in June.

With only 22 out of 24 senators, two thirds would be 16, with only seven votes needed to block any conviction or removal from office, Tanada said.

“The senators are weather vanes if they see and feel that public opinion is for the impeachment, I think they will not stake their careers going against the public,” he said.

“That is the reason   why the public should be engaged in the process...people should show their sentiments,” he added.

He noted that when the Supreme Court decision on the impeachment came out on February  15, a television station conducted a text survey  during the whole hour of  its news program and 12,000 responded with 95 percent wanting Gutierrez  removed.*CPG

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