The Philippine government Wednesday dismissed the calls for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to take a leave of absence when the impeachment deliberations are ongoing in the House of Representatives.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said that the suggestion for the president to take a leave is both unwarranted and unacceptable in the absence of proof against her for any violation of law," Arroyo's spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Wednesday.

However, Bunye admitted that the impeachment process has been already in place. "Let us just allow it to take its course in Congress."

Bunye also urged the critics of President Arroyo to let her do her job "which is to run the affairs of the nation, especially in stewarding the economy through these challenging times."

The House Committee on Justice started Wednesday its deliberation on three impeachment complaints against President Arroyo to determine if any of them was sufficient in form and in substance.

But the hearings have been suspended to Monday due to contentious procedural matters.

If any impeachment complaint is found sufficient in both of form and substance, the justice committee will recommend it to the House, which will decide whether to either uphold or dismiss the report.

The committee can only start its preliminary investigation after the plenary decides to uphold its report.

President Arroyo has been accused of betrayal of public trust, bribery, graft and corruption, and culpable violation of the Constitution, on the allegations that she had cheated in the 2004 presidential elections and that her family members had benefited from illegal gambling.

Source: Xinhua