Philippine opposition lawmakers Wednesday said they have already gathered enough signatures for the impeachment against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Representatives Teofisto Guingona and Joel Villanueva told a press conference that their impeachment case, which has gained endorsement of 79 congressmen, one-third of the total, should be automatically transferred to the Senate according to the Constitution.

However, they declined to name the additional signatories in the impeachment complaint, saying that they are protecting the new signatories from being influenced by the Palace.

The impeachment, which was lodged at the House of Representatives on July 25, the day when President Arroyo delivered her State of National Address speech, was originally signed by 37 lawmakers and then tendered to the House justice committee not the Senate.

Speaker Jose de Venecia earlier Wednesday claimed that the opposition failed to push the impeachment complaint against the president because they failed to gather enough signatures.

"In effect, it's virtually defeated," De Venecia said at a separate press conference.

President Arroyo has been battered in recent weeks by opposition charges that she won the May 2004 elections by cheating, leading to a widespread clamor for her to leave office or face impeachment.

(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2005)