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On Davide impeachment:
LAKAS Congressmen acted on their own, no consultation with party leadership -Alvarez
October 25, 2003
New York City, USA - Lakas national spokesperson Secretary Heherson T. Alvarez
today said the Congressmen who belong to Lakas-CMD party that signed the
impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.
acted and decided on their own without any consultation nor any prodding
from the Party leadership.
Alvarez, who is in this City as guest speaker of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights,
award rites honoring human rights advocates, issued the statement after Senator
Joker Arroyo accused President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, head of the Lakas-CMD,
of allowing the NPC to have its way with the impeachment case against the Chief
Justice by having done nothing under the pretext of neutrality.
"There has been no party decision on the impeachment of Davide," Alvarez said.
The party members who have now drawn the name of the party into the controversy
must consider consultation and sit down to confer with the party leadership to discuss
whether the party reputation and principles is not being cast in a serious questioning.
Alvarez, author of the impeachment complain against former President Joseph Estrada,
said that when he filed the impeachment complaint against the former President there was
hardly anyone who was prepared to sign with him except for then Representative
Ernesto Herrera, a former colleague from the Senate. According to him it took a lot of
debate and consultation before young Mike Defensor appended his signature.
"The rest whom I have spoken with, and there was quite a number, have hesitated,
if not declined. The Speaker of the House at that time had even raised doubts on the
wisdom of the impeachment which however he ultimately signed after a length of time of
almost a month. The Congressmen have to go home to consult community leaders, and their
constituents," Alvarez said.
He cited Congresswoman Nancy Cuenco of Cebu who called him during the Congressional break
when she finally considered to sign and she said that she has consulted with no less than
Cardinal Vidal. "Only then did she asked me to reserve a slot for her," he added.
Former Senator and Congressman Alvarez explained that with the impeachment complaint against
President Estrada, Congressmen deliberated, hesitated and consulted with the community leaders
and constituents before they signed that monumental document of impeachment. After the Congress
recess more signatures came on board until gradually the impeachment number of 77 was reached
and eventually exceeded. The rest is history.
In the case of the Chief Justice, Alvarez said, "It is amazing that without deliberation and
consultation, a big bulk of signature suddenly materializes. It was done too fast, too soon, too many."
Alvarez recommends party meetings, consultations and deliberations "Lest the party name, the whole
of Lakas would be drawn unwittingly into controversy which have yet to be fully debated and
discussed by the party as a body."
"Let us all together as a party discuss this momentous issue intelligently and soberly.
Those who may have cast their votes in deference to solicitation of peers may perhaps reconsider
their decision based on party deliberations and national interest lest the nation may reprove
them for acting too fast and too soon. And worst, that they have recklessly rendered judgment
on a very far reaching and awesome problem that the nation faces," Alvarez said.
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