Intervention a new complaint--solon

MANILA, Philippines -- The motion for intervention filed by a group of bloggers to add the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) as one of the charges in the impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be treated as a "separate complaint," a lawmaker at the House of Representatives said on Wednesday.

At the same time, Representative Matias Defensor, chairman of the committee on justice that will hear the complaint, announced that deliberations to determine form and in substance would begin on November 18.

"Since the MOA-AD is a new issue, it should be treated as a new complaint against the President," Defensor said in a phone interview when asked about the fate of the petition.

"We cannot accept it as an additional charge to the original complaint, otherwise, anybody can just file any motion and add a new charge to the complaint," he added.

However, Defensor said the motion filed would have no effect on the original complaint.

On Wednesday morning, a group of bloggers led by Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, INQUIRER.net blogger, and television host Manuel Quezon III, and retired general Fortunato Abat filed a motion for intervention before the House to include the MOA-AD between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as one of the charges against the President in an earlier complaint filed by the group of Jose De Venecia III and civil society groups on October 13.

The group said the President should also be made to answer for the controversial agreement, which has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

"The President must be held accountable for setting back the peace process and for placing ordinary citizens, Muslims and Christians alike, in Mindanao, in peril because of the recklessness and faithlessness with which she conducted the negotiations for the agreement," Quezon said.

The agreement was supposed to be signed with the MILF as part of the ongoing peace negotiations, paving the way for the creation of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, which will give the separatist group the power to enter into treaties, have their own courts, police force, among others.

The high tribunal said the President has no authority to commit the government to an agreement that might require change in the Constitution, but has to consult Congress or the people.

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