House panel to begin hearings on Marcos impeachment raps

The House Committee on Justice will begin public hearings on Monday, Feb. 2, for the determination of sufficiency in form and in substance as far as the two impeachment complaints filed against President Marcos are concerned.

- By ELLSON QUISMORIO

Chaired by Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro, the committee will launch its hearings on the twin complaints at 10 a.m.

To be tackled by the justice panel are the verified complaints for impeachment filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus, and filed by former Makabayan congressmen and militant group leaders.

It will have been the first time that impeachment raps against President Marcos reached this stage in the House of Representatives, although this is still a long way to go.

The committee is expected to hear the opening statements of the complainants, after which, the two documents might be consolidated or merged into one. Luistro had earlier said that the justice panel schedules daily hearings up to Wednesday to deliberate on the two impeachment complaints.

But the main purpose of the hearings is to find out whether or not the complaints pass the sufficiency tests, particularly on form and substance. Only by hurdling this requirement can the move to unseat Marcos get endorsed for approval in plenary.

Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, a member of the justice panel, said the members will vote on the complaints based on their "conscience." "Handa po ang buong committee na dinggin 'yung dalawang tanong-sufficiency in form and sufficiency in substance--nung dalawang impeachment complaints na filed laban kay Pangulong Ferdinand Bongbong R. Marcos Jr.," he said in a news forum over the weekend. (The entire committee is prepared to deliberate on the two questions-sufficiency in form and sufficiency in substance-regarding the two impeachment complaints filed against President Ferdinand Bongbong R.

Marcos Jr.) "Impeachment proceedings will always be based on facts, it will be based on evidence, and decisions relating to the impeachment will be based on the conscience of every House member," Ridon said.