SPEAKER Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. yesterday predicted the “instant death” of a plan to impeach President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III due to alleged “massive tax fraud” over the sale of a government property in Baguio City while the opposition bloc vowed to study the issue.
In an interview, Belmonte explained President Aquino has nothing to do with the issue since the transaction of selling the property to SM Investment Corporation happened between the time of then President Fidel Ramos and the completion of documentation transpired in 2011.
“This will not fly because it is baseless and unfounded. The President has nothing to do with the transaction. The story was not true. The auction and award were done in 1992 and the full payment was in 1997. The documentation was completed in 2011,” said Belmonte.
Belmonte was reacting to Danilo Lihaylihay, president of the Philippine Association of Revenue Informers, Inc. and the one who accused former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of plunder, who expressed his intention to have President Aquino impeached in a letter dated Feb. 8, to House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez based on alleged massive tax fraud over the sale of property.
Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, spokesman for the Liberal Party (LP) and House prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of impeached Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Renato Corona agreed with Belmonte. “There is no basis and it will not prosper.”
While Suarez admitted that he did not give his commitment with Lihaylihay’s request as of the moment, he vowed to study the matter.
“Though I haven’t made a commitment, I am willing to file it if this would have basis to warrant an impeachable offense,” said Suarez.
Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong, a member of the House minority bloc and former secretary of the Department of Justice, said their group is yet to consult each other about it.
“The minority has to discuss and consider the existence of evidence,” said Datumanong, a former chairman of the House committee on justice which is mandated to deliberate the impeachment complaint.
Published : Thursday May 24, 2012 | Category : National | Views : 15
AN Islamic-friendly and culturally-sensitive curriculum for Muslim learners will be implemented in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao this June. This was apart from the effort to continue to allot resources to further train Muslim teachers. The curriculum was launched recently in Lamitan City, Basilan. The event was attended by... Read more
Published : Thursday May 24, 2012 | Category : National | Views : 13
By : Jun Pisco
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Published : Thursday May 24, 2012 | Category : National | Views : 15
By : Joel dela Torre
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Published : Thursday May 24, 2012 | Category : National | Views : 12
By : Jun Pisco
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Published : Thursday May 24, 2012 | Category : National | Views : 13
YOUTH joblessness is almost back at its peak following the outbreak of the global economic crisis and is unlikely to ease until at least 2016, the International Labour Organization warned Tuesday. The ILO said nearly 75 million youths or 12.7 percent of people aged 15 to 24 will be out... Read more
