Two congressmen sign impeachment plea

Two more congressmen have endorsed the impeachment complaint against President Gloria Arroyo, raising to 49 the number of votes with the opposition.

However, it is still 30 votes short of those necessary to send the complaint to the Senate for a full trial.

Congressmen Benjamin Agarao of Laguna and Rodolfo Bacani of Manila's 4th District signed the complaint.

"I do not recognise Mrs Arroyo as president. A fake president should be impeached," Agarao said. "My colleagues in the minority faced a tough battle so I joined them," Agarao added, but did not explain why he waited till now to sign the complaint which was filed on July 25.

Several members of the Fight for Democratic Phil-ippines are endorsing the complaint, said Agarao, but he identified only two lawmakers.

Speaker Jose de Venecia and the majority bloc must allow the president's impeachment to continue, Agarao appealed.

On Tuesday, five pro-administration congressmen joined the opposition and signed the impeachment complaint against Arroyo. More administration allies in the House of Representatives will soon sign the complaint, predicted Congressman Robert Jaworski, adding that those from the administration camp preferred not to be identified.

Some pro-administration congressmen are monitoring how the House Committee on Justice will treat next week the three complaints that were filed by one lawyer and the opposition congressmen against Arroyo.

The opposition does not want the justice committee to favour the original complaint filed by Oliver Lozano, a lawyer of former first lady Imelda Marcos.

Sources told Gulf News that the justice committee does not want to recognise the opposition's amended compliant because it was filed late. "If that happens many more of the president's allies will side with the opposition," warned Jaworski.

The complaint filed by Lozano accused Arroyo of election fraud. His evidence was the wiretapped conversation of President Arroyo with an election official after the May 2004 elections.

The amended impeachment complaint accused Arroyo of culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and betrayal of public trust in connection with allegations that she rigged last year's election and her family received payoffs from illegal gambling rackets. Arroyo has denied the charges. The evidences for the amended impeachment complaint included witnesses who have testified before the senate probe body.