Aquino admits role in Corona impeach
BY WENDELL VIGILIA
PRESIDENT Aquino convinced congressmen to impeach Supreme Court Chief Justice but did not force or blackmail anyone to sign the complaint as claimed by Arroyo allies, House majority leader Neptali Gonzales II said yesterday.
Gonzales said the President initially made his intention known during meetings with members of his Liberal Party, and coalition partners eventually decided to go with the plan.
"The President made his case with members of the LP. He did not force anyone to support his cause. Ganun naman ang Presidente, he will not force you. At the end of the day, you will be the one to decide," he also said.
Gonzales said the President "does not mind the public knowing that he’s part of the (Corona) impeachment."
"First of all, wala namang maniniwalang di involved ang Presidente sa nangyari. Wala naman siyang tinatago, he’s transparent. He’s the kind of president that what you see is what you get. Siya ang tao na lumalaban talaga (ng harapan)," he said.
He said the President wanted Corona impeached because he could not expect fairness from Corona in cases involving the government.
Gonzales’ statements came a day after Malacaņang, through deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte, said any action taken by Aquino’s partymates at the House would be independent of Aquino’s stand.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, apparently unaware of Gonzales’ statements, said Aquino did not use of his alliance with congressmen in railroading the impeachment complaint.
She said the administration should not be compared with that of Arroyo who has been known to kill impeachment complaints against her by bribing House members.
The majority bloc lost Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco because of the speed with which it disposed of the complaint which got the support of 188 House members led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte.
Tiangco said while he is not an Arroyo ally, he was "shocked" to hear the opening statement of the House leadership that because of Corona’s association with his "patron" Arroyo, "he is the obstacle to the plans of the President, and that the only thing to do is to remove the Chief Justice."
"We were clearly given two choices: to sign or not to sign," Tiangco said. "But the worst part of it all is (we were told) that no questions would be entertained."
Tiangco, who also lost his chairmanship of the House committee on Metro Manila development, said he was not even given the chance to read the complaint. – With Jocelyn Montemayor and Evangeline de Vera