The debate on the Constitution eclipsed the second impeachment charge
filed against the president, in June. In 2005, Arroyo survived impeachment
after her allies in Congress threw out the allegations of corruption and election
fraud. The second attempt to impeach her—on the same charges, as well as for
political killings supposedly perpetrated or tolerated by the military,
5
and her
government’s efforts to clamp down on dissent—ended in August 2006 as Ar-
royo’s congressional coalition, led by House Speaker Jose de Venecia, junked
the complaint.
De Venecia, who lost his presidential bid to Estrada in 1998, is a staunch
advocate of a parliamentary government, not least because it would allow him
to be prime minister without going through a national election. The speaker
has the support of the majority of the House of Representatives and could
sway an impeachment vote either way. Many believe his support for Arroyo
hinges on her commitment to charter change.