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Arroyo critics warn of a revolt

A man cleans a huge portrait of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo in Quezon City, north of Manila yesterday. Opposition lawmakers said yesterday they would take the battle to force Arroyo's resignation over alleged election fraud to the streets if her dominant allies in Congress block their impeachment complaint. PHOTO: AP

Opposition lawmakers said yesterday they would take the battle to oust President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the streets if her dominant allies in Congress block an impeachment complaint.

Lawmakers were finalizing the complaint -- a draft claimed Arroyo "stole, cheated and lied" to rise and stay in power -- that they plan to file today before she delivers her televised State of the Nation address in Congress, opposition Representative Rolex Suplico said.

Arroyo's aides have taken steps to block the new complaint on a legal technicality. The complaint cites at least 10 alleged crimes, including elections fraud, corruption and obstruction of justice, and claims she is vulnerable to at least four of the six constitutional grounds for impeachment.

"If there is no chance for our complaint to be accepted by the House [of Representatives], we intend to withdraw it and tell the people that there is no hope in the impeachment process," Suplico said. "We can now go to the streets."

Left-wing lawmakers have warned that a "people power" revolt, similar to what ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and President Joseph Estrada in 2001, could erupt if pro-Arroyo lawmakers, who comprise a strong majority in the 236-strong House, use their numbers or legal tactics to kill or weaken the impeachment complaint.

Anti-Arroyo protests have failed so far to generate the numbers or staying power of the earlier revolts. A private lawyer, Oliver Lozano, filed an impeachment complaint against Arroyo before Congress on June 27, alleging she rigged last year's closely fought presidential race by calling an elections official to discuss ways of ensuring at least a million-vote lead. Lozano based his complaint on alleged wiretaps by military intelligence. A lawyer for Arroyo responded that the wiretaps could not be used against her because they were illegally obtained.

Arroyo has admitted she made a "lapse in judgment" by talking with an elections official before the count was final, but has not directly commented on the authenticity of the recordings and has denied influencing the election results.

Pro-Arroyo lawmakers could approve restrictive impeachment rules, including banning the wiretaps as evidence, that could make a conviction less likely, Suplico said. Police and troops were put on full alert ahead of Arroyo's address at the House of Representatives in suburban Quezon City, where groups for and against Arroyo are expected to rally. A no-fly zone was to be imposed on a 1km radius.

Left-wing Representative Satur Ocampo said he and other anti-Arroyo lawmakers would boycott the address.
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