Enrile: Arroyo presence in Merci trial unlikely

The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, will not summon former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the trial of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez unless there is sufficient basis for it, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said Thursday. "As long as they can justify the appearance, then maybe we will approve it, if they can't justify it I'll deny it. I'm not going to be a party to embarrassing people," Enrile said during a weekly forum at the Senate. He issued the statement after Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello said Arroyo, her husband Mike Arroyo, and her former Cabinet officials should be compelled to appear as witnesses during the impeachment trial of Gutierrez, who is perceived to be a close ally of the former President. Enrile said the reason for summoning Arroyo must be "justifiable, relevant, pertinent, and material." "We have a coercive power to make her appear, but the threshold issue is, relevant ba yung kanyang appearance or panloloko lang para pahiyain siya (is Arroyo's appearance relevant or is it just meant to embarrass her)," he said. The House of Representatives had earlier identified the six allegations against Gutierrez, which will constitute the articles of impeachment against her: (1) the Office of the Ombudsman has performed dismally as shown by the low conviction rate achieved by the office; (2) the unreasonable failure to take prompt and immediate action on complaints filed against various public officials, including former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and (husband) Jose Miguel Arroyo regarding the NBN-ZTE broadband project; (3) the inexcusable delay of the Ombudsman in conducting and concluding its investigation into the wrongful death of Ensign Philip Andrew Pestaño aboard a Philippine navy vessel; (4) inaction in the matter of the Fertilizer Fund Scam; (5) inaction in the matter of the Mega Pacific deal; and (6) inaction in the matter of the “Euro Generals" issue The Senate is expected to convene as an impeachment court on May 9. - Kimberly Jane Tan/GMA News