By Sammy F. Martin
MANILA, Aug. 11 (PNA) — The fourth impeachment complaint filed by ACT Teacher party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio against President Benigno Aquino III is considered shelved after it was overtaken by events, said Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas on Monday.
Tupas, chairman of the House committee on Justice, said that after the three consolidated impeachment complaints was referred to his committee, impeachment ban policy starts.
“Once the first impeachment complaint is transmitted, the second complaint would be barred from being heard for one year,” Tupas told House reporters after the plenary referred the complaint to the House committee on justice.
He said the one-year ban started after the transmittal of the complaint and it needs to wait for another year if the complainants want to refile the impeachment complaint.
According to Tupas, he had set the first hearing of the impeachment complaint on Monday next week as he claims that he expects almost perfect attendance of all members of the committee.
“Members need to scrutinize the complaint and it requires 28 votes for probable cause,” Tupas stressed.
However, Tinio who showed up a compact disc claiming that it is their evidence that Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) is indeed included in the proposed 2015 General Appropriations Bill.
Tinio may face disciplinary action because under the Anti-Wire Tapping Law, the proceedings during Executive meeting should not be revealed by anyone present without the permission of the leadership.
The Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. (PCFI) on Monday said they are already studying the possibility of filing a complaint against Tinio before the House Ethics committee.
Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe, in a press conference, said that Tinio might have violated the Anti-Wire Tapping Law after he revealed in public what had transpired during an Executive session.
“Una sa lahat, yung Executive session dapat po confidential yun at dun lang po lamang dapat sa mga nag-attend ng executive session. Anong nangyari? Ti-nape ng isang staff o empleyado. Ngayon ang tanong, ito ba ay legal? Mayroon tayong Anti-Wire Tapping Act na kung saan bawal mag-tape ng isang private communication na walang pahintulot. So, may kuwestiyon na po sa legalidad nito,” said Batocabe, spokesman of PCFI.
“Executive session should not be revealed in public unless there is a go signal or clearance from the leadership,” he pointed out.
Tinio admitted in an interview that the CD contains the proceedings of an Executive session.
”This evidence (CD) may be used against Rep. Tinio,” Batocabe pointed out. (PNA)