By Xinhua,
Manila : Opponents on Monday filed another impeachment against Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the fourth one during her presidency over the past years.
The case was filed by a group led by Joey de Venecia III, son of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., before the Secretary General’s office at the Philippine House of Representatives.
The Philippine law allows only one impeachment bid each year against the President and the previous one-year period lapsed last weekend, De Venecia told reporters.
The complainants said they wanted to impeach Arroyo for her alleged bribery, betrayal of public trust, violation of the Constitution, and graft and corruption among other crimes.
Presidential spokesman Anthony Golez accused the complainants of being self-serving when the country needed to brace against impacts of the global financial crisis, and said that there was no chance for the impeachment to succeed.
De Venecia insisted that the move was not politically-motivated amid his alleged plans to run for senator in 2010.
“There’s nothing political about this,” he said.
Only if one-third or more of the 240-member House back the complaint will it be sent to the opposition-dominated Senate for trial. Currently, the opposition controls no more than House seats.
Arroyo came into power in 2001 after the then-President Joseph Estrada was ousted by a non-violent “People Power” revolt. She won the presidential election in 2004 and her term will end in 2010.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo gives a speech during a visit to a new pasta plant in Manila October 13, 2008. Opposition groups in the Philippines filed an impeachment complaint against President Arroyo on Monday, but admitted they did not have the numbers in Congress to make it stick.