by Atty. Adel A. Tamano
(The author is partner in Kapunan Tamano Villadolid & Associates law office and assistant lecturer at the Institute of Law, Far Eastern University in Manila)
Essentially, the political opposition has branded the President, in their words, as a “cheater”, “thief”, and “liar” on the basis of allegations of unlawful use of public money for the 2004 elections, vote-rigging, and the subsequent cover-up by the executive. Moreover, critics argue that the killing of the members of the political left, the silencing of dissent, and the rush to amend the Fundamental Law are merely the logical consequences of the failure to obtain a genuine mandate. These are the bases for the filing of the impeachment complaint against the President on June 26, 2006, a year after the filing of the first impeachment complaint.
From the actions of the President’s counsel, by raising the pendency of a petition with the Supreme Court related to last year’s impeachment, as well as statements by the President’s official family prophesying an imminent defeat of the second impeachment proceeding, it appears that the Executive is, once again, bent on “killing” the current impeachment. However, it may not be in the President’s best interests, in the long-run, to oppose the impeachment. On the contrary, there are reasons, which are sound, valid, and serve not only the President’s interests but those of the country as well, that demand her support for having a credible impeachment proceeding, namely:
