The Philippine legislature began public hearings Monday on an opposition motion to impeach President Joseph Estrada for alleged corruption.
The hearings, aired on radio on television, seek to remove Estrada from office for alleged corruption, bribery, culpable violations of the constitution and betrayal of public trust.
House of Representatives minority leader Sergio Apostol told the House justice committee, scrutinizing the impeachment motion filed on October 18, that at least one third of the 218-member House had endorsed the bid.
"We have already achieved the number of at least one third," he told the panel.
Another opposition legislator, Mike Defensor, urged the committee to hand over the case immediately to the whole House for a plenary debate.
But Estrada allies in the House argued the committee hearings should continue.
Under the constitution, at least one third of the House must endorse an impeachment case against the president to authorize the Senate to hold a tribunal to try him.
When the motion was filed on October 18, about 40 legislators backed it but more have thrown their weight behind it as public pressure mounts on Estrada to resign over allegations that he took eight million dollars in bribes from illegal gambling bosses.
If Estrada stands on trial in the Senate, at least 15 of the 22 senators must declare that there is a "preponderance of evidence" against him in order to kick him out of office.
Estrada has rejected the charges and vowed to fight the impeachment case against him. He still has three years and eight months to run of a six-year term -- MANILA (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
