LIVE Coverage of Slow Death II

The HYATT 10 are holding a press conference right now. Go and watch the television coverage on ANC. Hurry! Butch Abad setting up his point... "did she (President Arroyo) make the admission on Garci tape out of sincere desire to tell the truth? Many of us wondered if the president was confusing her survival with the survival of the country..."

If you're stuck with Miron...tough patutis. Follow at your own peril.

• Butch Abad says they were bothered by incident that happened before the I am sorry speech witnessed by Dinky Soliman:
• Dinky Soliman:"last june 27 2005 when I was still secretary we were called to a meeting in malacanang where we watched live coverage of the I am sorry speech of the president. After the speech we joined the president, congratulated her, even sang for her... Outside the main banquet hall, I saw an incident the full meaning of which just dawned on me of late... The president was informed by Sec. for Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio that Lozano had filed an impeachment complaint. The president asked if it has been endorsed. Claudio said it had not been endorsed. I heard the president, pa endorse mo na. He said he will try to talk to Congressman Marcoleta. At that time I was not aware of the significance of the conversation, but at this juncture, it is important I make this disclosure.
• Butch Abad: Was it a coincidence that Lozano filed a complaint on the same day the president said I'm sorry? Is this part of a grand conspiracy to prevent the filing of a real impeachment complaint? If that is so ,were Lozano and Marcoleta aware of such a plan?...
• No no no... please don't pass to Karmina. They pass to Karmina.
• Miron tosses to inq7's report on this "grand plan" to thwart impeachment against PGMA
• Losing no time, the Palace calls for its own press conference to deny the charges made by what the palace sarcastically calls the Hyatt 4.

UPDATE:

• Rep. Paras: Complaints cannot be taken up because they are insufficient in form. They shouldn't even get to a vote. Under the rules, they should be sent back to the complainants. That should be their first act in Congress.
• We are distracted by a showbiz moment: JDV shaking hands with a beaming Susan Roces in the audience. Stops for a photo opportunity - JDV posing with Susan Roces on the day that the impeachment complaint quite possibly gets killed. Smiles all around. Beautiful. We're screwed.
• Hearing resumes.
• "Point of order of Paras's point of order is OUT OF ORDER because they are not yet talking about sufficiency of form."
• Paras defends his point of order. "We will no longer be a committee on justice but a committee on injustice" if they take up something that will turn out to be insufficient in form.
• Various voices: "Point of order mr chairman, mr chairman section 3, mr chairman! filing of verified complaint we have no verified complaint it has to be thrown out!"
• WHAT KIND OF CONGRESS IS THIS?!! (cried miron's anguished inner voice)
  
• Break:
• Ricky Carandang: The question is whether the justice committee will terminate this process now, on a superficial technical point.
• Hearing resumes:
• Rep. Roman given his 8 minutes to make his point. He therefore intones and modulates: "No impeachment proceedingssss (emphasizes the sss, explaining "plural po, eh"). Ayyy. To the bathroom, batman! When I come back, Roman still orating as if in Roman times: "It is the HOUSE!! that initiates the proceedings. Let us not LOOOK at when the impeachment date was filed. How can the ten minutes be significant? Mr. Chairman, that is why I abstained!" SOS! Abstained ka pala eh. Sana tumahimik ka na lang.
• Alan Peter Cayetano begins by quoting the bible, specifically Matthew 18:3. "What if we were children and not politicians?" (miron hears entire nation snicker) " Suppression of truth is equivalent to false representation." Ah Crap, More rhetoric. I'm disappointed. Boksing na Alan Peter and yet I've yet to see you connect with a body blow. You just keep circling the ring!!!
• OH GOD. I go to a meeting and when I come back: WALKOUT. Barbers motioned for Dinky to be called to "shed light" on the issue. Datumanong objected to that and called the matter to a vote. Suddenly the oppositon heads for the exit.
• Barbers: We had to get out the room because we did not want to follow anymore whatever procedure that they had. Why are they in such a hurry to finish the proceedings?
• Ricky Carandang: what's the tactical move now?
• Barbers: We have to sit down tonight. And plan it out. I don't have the slightest idea what we'll do tomorrow. (great. just great)
• Ricky Carandang: Since congress is technically still in session and has a quorum, the majority can essentially vote on this matter now.
• Barbers: Yes.... why would we participate in a moro moro?
• Libanan: Barbers was supposed to be the last one to speak in the debate, so what could happened was to terminate the debate after him. But instead of participating in the debate, Barbers presented a summon to present Dinky Soliman. The Chair felt it was an improper order. So Barbers should have appealed the ruling of the chair, but he did not.
• Ricky Carandang: Was this just a stunt?
• Libanan: "This was definitely not a stunt. Emotions are running high..." (footage shows live shots of lots of people laughing, smiling while doing the thumbs down sign)..."We are not enjoying this."
• Scuffle breaks out outside the lower house. Someone being pushed outside by security.
• From inq7:
  

  MEMBERS of the opposition bloc at the House of Representatives walked out of the hearing on the impeachment complaints against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo after the justice committee announced that it would stop the debates and vote on which of the three impeachment complaints would be recognized.

  Actress Susan Roces who was at the gallery also left the session hall, television footage showed. Howls of protest from a largely pro-impeachment audience accompanied the walkout, as pieces of paper were thrown in the air, the same footage showed.

• Minority holds a press conference. Calls the hearings a sham. I see Alan Peter Cayetano, Edmund Reyes, Casino, Imee, Riza Hontiveros Baraquiel, Darlene... (please don't let her talk), where's Chiz? Casino predictably explains the walkout: "Ayaw namin ng botohan dahil ang original Lozano complaint is a Palace sham." Sham! cries this Shazam generation!
• Darlene talking argh.. effect on miron...just like kryptonite...am feeling weak... embarassed...must...crawl...under...rock...

Comments

[afan]

haha! great blog! thoroughly enjoyed reading this!