Manila (Philippines): Opponents of the Philippine president filed a new impeachment complaint against her today over alleged corruption, vote-rigging and other crimes, but the government predicted the bid would fail like three previous attempts.

The new complaint consolidates previous and new allegations of corruption and constitutional and human rights violations against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, said key complainant Jose de Venecia III.

The new allegations include charges of misconduct in a proposed telecommunications deal involving Chinese company ZTE Corp.

Arroyo, who was swept to power in 2001 after then-President Joseph Estrada was ousted by a nonviolent "people power" revolt, has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing in office. She won a six-year term in a regular presidential election in 2004.

Arroyo is the longest-serving and the least popular Philippine head of state after dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was overthrown in 1986 after ruling the country for more than two decades.

De Venecia and other complainants tried but failed to file the 97-page impeachment complaint late Saturday at the House of Representatives because its secretary-general, Marilyn Yap, who receives such complaints, had gone on a foreign trip.

The law allows only one impeachment bid each year against the president and the previous one-year period lapsed last weekend, De Venecia said.
Source : PTI