The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) is set to file an impeachment case against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales next week once House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez decides to either sponsor it or refer it to other lawmakers.
"We wanted the speaker to sponsor it as much as possible but it all depends on him kasi ang sabi niya ini-istudy niya very seriously itong aming complaint na tapos na," Atty. Manny Luna, VACC's impeachment counsel said in a forum on Wednesday.
"I and former [Negros Occidental] congressman [Jacinto] Paras have finalized this complaint together with Atty. [Ferdinand] Topacio. We are waiting for the speaker to decide. Probably he will sponsor it or he will ask some other cogressmen to do it," he added.
However, Luna emphasized that they will not rely solely on Alvarez's decision.
"Pero we cannot wait forever. Hindi naman pwedeng hintayin namin siya until he decides. Kung mabagal naman, we have to think over kung anong gagwin," he said.
"But we are giving the benefit of the doubt to the speaker. He knows better eh. That's their prerogative," Luna added.
Luna said that the filing of the impeachment case would be probably next week if they will be "lucky" enough.
"If the speaker will be able to come up with his decision...Sa palagay namin magcoconsult pa yan ng mga political liutenants niya at kung mayroong consensus, probably if we're lucky baka next week. Baka lamang. That's just my fearless forecast. Hindi ko pwedeng ibigay or pangunahan yung desisyon ng speaker. He's the leader of the house so depende ho sa kanya. Pero inexplain na namin yung gist ng complaint," he said.
In January, VACC chairman Dante Jimenez said that he was considering filing an impeachment complaint against Morales over the supposed slow progress of the Mamasapano case.
Meanwhile, Morales earlier said that she was not bent on filing a case against former President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III over the Mamasapano clash just to avoid an impeachment complaint.
Luna told GMA News Online that they have cited the following six grounds of impeachable offenses against Morales:
• Culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of the public trust for allegedly grossly failing in her duty to promptly act on complaints and to resolve or dispose these complaints without inordinate delay
• For allegedly being biased against those who opposed to former President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and singled them out for prosecution while being steadfast in dismissing cases against allies of Aquino
• For allegedly being biased in favor of Aquino and for being so, shielded him from prosecution
• Graft and corruption for supposedly not complying with the procurement rules
• For allegedly disregarsing the ruling of the Supreme Court by giving a prospective application to the abandonment of the condonation doctrine in governor Roel Degamo (Negros Oriental) case and abused her authority in dismissing him twice from the office
• Usurpation of the powers of the House of the Representatives and the Senate in suspending Congressman Freddie Siao and Senator Joel Villanueva
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| © GMA News Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales on Wednesday, July 20, 2016, answers questions from the media regarding the Supreme Court's decision to dismiss the plunder case filed against former President and now Pampanga Rep… |
"Dito sa kaso ni Ombudsman, we are 100 percent sure. We are for the filing of the conplaint. Ang hininhintay lang namin yung go signal kasi inamin naman ng ating butihing speaker na kinausap namin siya at yan ay totoo," Luna said.
"We will not deny that, we went to his office and we talked to him about it. Because this is a political action, hindi pwede kami ang sasali diyan because 99 percent of the job will be done by the Congress especially the House," he added.
Moreover, former Manila City councilor Greco Belgica earlier urged the SC to strip Morales of her license as a lawyer for clearing Aquino over his administration's implementation of the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
Belgica said that the retired SC justice violated the Lawyer's Oath and the Canon of Professional Responsibility when she approved earlier this month the resolution absolving Aquino of the charges for technical malversation, usurpation of legislative powers, and graft. —NB, GMA News
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