House urged to immediately form prosecution team for Merci impeach trial

The leadership of the House of Representatives should immediately pick the 11 congressmen who will serve as prosecutors during Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez’s impeachment trial at the Senate, a complainant in the case said Monday. BAYAN secretary-general Renato Reyes said with less than a month before the Senate trial starts on May 9, the prosecution team should be formed as soon as possible. “Hindi naman sa nababagalan kami, but it will be best for the House to formalize and finalize the list of prosecutors. Ilang linggo na lang kasi magbabalik na ang sesyon," he said at a press briefing. (We’re not saying that they’re dilly-dallying, but it will be best for the House leadership to formalize and finalize the list of prosecutors. There’s only a few more weeks before session resumes.) He added that while he and his fellow complainants are still “confident" that the chamber is preparing for the trial, it will be better if the prosecutors will be given sufficient time to focus on specific articles of impeachment. Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares, one of the lawmakers being tapped to be part of the prosecution team, said he and several other congressmen will meet on Tuesday to “resolve" all matters related to the impeachment trial. The House approved last month the articles of impeachment against Gutierrez and send them to the Senate for trial. The Ombudsman is being accused of betrayal of public trust for low conviction rates during her term and her supposed inaction in five high-profile cases. So far, only three members of the eleven-man House prosecution team have been formally named: Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III. No Arroyo ties Reyes likewise advised the House leadership to choose public and private prosecutors without any past links to former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who appointed Gutierrez in 2005. He specifically warned about including Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. in the prosecution team because of his former ties with Arroyo. “Hindi siya bumoto para sa impeachment. Baka mag-raise ito ng questions. Dapat magpasok ng prosecutors na talagang maaasahan (He didn’t vote for the impeachment. This might raise questions during the hearings)," Reyes said. Barzaga, formerly a member of Arroyo’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, was not present during the voting on the impeachment case last March 21. Reyes said his group and members of various sectors, including academic and religious organizations, are set to launch protest actions in front of the Senate to mark the start of the impeachment trial on May 9. - KBK, GMA News