RP impeachment halted

RP impeachment halted

PHILIPPINES: The Philippines Congress abruptly stopped the
impeachment of a Supreme Court chief justice on Tuesday by
adjourning the house, giving President Gloria Arroyo two weeks to
solve a problem which could plunge the country into a
constitutional crisis.

Congress went into recess after the house's presiding officer
ruled there was no quorum for the vote on impeaching Hilario
Davide.

The move gives Davide and Arroyo two weeks to try and convince
the House of Representatives to withdraw the impeachment
complaint against the Philippines' fifth most senior official and
the man fourth in line to the presidential succession.

Nearly a third of the house want Davide impeached and put on
trial in the Senate for his refusal to open the judiciary's
budget books to Congress. It would take about one-third of the
house, or 76 members, for the impeachment to go ahead.

Davide is accused of misusing about 48 million pesos (about
US$865,000) from a judiciary fund. If the Senate finds him guilty
he would be removed from office. -- AFP