PCIJ
IF Speaker Jose de Venecia can't defeat impeachment moves against President Arroyo in the House of Representative, then the Palace will have to send in reinforcement. And the reinforcement could come in the form of new congressmen and congresswomen from party-list groups that are certified pro-Arroyo.
There has been talk going around that the Commission on Election will be proclaiming this coming week three new members of Congress from among the party-list groups still waiting for the final party list canvass. They will reportedly be brought in for a purpose and that is to raise the total number of House members from 236 to 239, so that opposition members will need 80 and not 79 signatories to endorse the impeachment complaint. Although it does not seem much, one vote short in an impeachment complaint spells the end of it.
The names and party-list groups being mentioned, however, are not exactly those who are due for proclamation. Those who are waiting in line, meantime, will have to wait longer. Based on the number of votes won, there are four party-list groups whose nominees should have been proclaimed way back June: Citizens' Battle against Corruption (CIBAC), Partido Manggagawa, Gabriela and Luzon Farmers' Party (BUTIL). But given the anti-Arroyo positions that some of these groups have taken, they might just have to prepare for a longer wait.
Meanwhile, the House leadership is said to be busy helping draft the President's State of the Nation Address on Monday. According to one party-list representative, de Venecia has been going around asking members: "What would you like the President to include in her SONA?" That being the case, expect President Arroyo's SONA to be a mishmash of issues and advocacies close to the hearts of those who have the power to make her reign or fall.
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