Asian Political News: Manila's political noise to get louder in coming weeks

MANILA, July 20 Kyodo

The political noise in the Philippines is expected to get louder in the coming weeks, or even months, as foes of embattled President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo file an impeachment complaint in Congress when it resumes next week.

Opposition leaders are now drawing up the formal charges in the impeachment resolution which they hope to pass in Congress.

''The impeachment process is under way,'' Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, a member of the opposition, said Wednesday. ''We are serious about the impeachment. We are not out to make a political statement, to stage political grandstanding. Our interest is (to ferret out) the truth.''

Zamora is optimistic the opposition lawmakers have the numbers to push through the impeachment proceedings against Arroyo for allegedly ''cheating, lying and stealing.''

''As of now, we are still short (of the number of votes needed) but we are not that short,'' Zamora said.

There are only 28 opposition congressmen in the legislature, where the ruling party commands a majority.

Indeed, Leland Joseph de la Cruz, political analyst at Ateneo de Manila University, told Kyodo News on Wednesday that the opposition faces an ''uphill battle'' in its impeachment quest.

Zamora said the lawmakers are now crafting the charges and trying to determine which credible witnesses they will call to testify in the trial.

''We want to make sure that these (witnesses) if they are subpoenaed will have something significant to say,'' he said.

Arroyo has come under fire for improperly speaking with an election official during last year's presidential vote. She is also being castigated over allegations her husband, son and brother-in-law have received gambling kickbacks.

Arroyo has admitted calling the election official, which she called a ''lapse of judgment,'' but insisted she did not influence the results.

Clamor for Arroyo to step down intensified in the wake of her admission that she telephoned the election official. Anti-Arroyo forces took to the streets to push their resignation demand.

However, Arroyo said she has no plans of resigning from office, defiantly telling critics to ''take your grievances to Congress where I am very willing to submit to due process as called for by our Constitution.''

On Tuesday, Arroyo said she backs the creation of a commission to look into the truth behind allegations she rigged last year's presidential election. The opposition, casting doubt on the impartiality of the so-called truth commission, rejected Arroyo's proposal and urged her to face the impeachment complaint instead.

''All these are steps obviously intended to put a cap on the current turmoil and controversy over the allegations of vote rigging, suspicions of (the poll body) interference,'' said veteran journalist Max Soliven, publisher of The Philippine Star.

''(Arroyo) is moving to consolidate her position -- and recover from the nasty attacks on her credibility,'' he added.

It is too early to say whether the impeachment process will win back the confidence of investors, or whether it will bring more trouble to the sluggish economy.

''I don't think we are headed for an economic collapse,'' said political analyst de la Cruz. ''There will be a lot of economic strain, but on the one hand the present economic situation increases the pressure on all parties to try to resolve the problem at the soonest possible time.''