Approved on Tuesday night by the House, the proposal for amendment to the Constitution (PEC) of the armor, which protects congressmen from criminal proceedings, was seen in the Supreme Court (STF) as an attempt by deputies to get rid of any liability for deviation in parliamentary amendments. The assessment by magistrates, in reserved, is that the measure represents an emptying of the judiciary’s inspection power.
The PEC was approved after the offensive of the Court regarding suspicions of irregularities in the application of amendments. The day before, STF Minister Flávio Dino ordered the suspension of transfers to nine cities after the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGU) point to evidence of misuse of resources sent through the PIX eume. He sent to cases for the Federal Police to evaluate the opening of inquiries.
Once also approved in the Senate, PEC could serve to block any criminal actions involving the parliamentarians who sent these resources.
PEC approval with massive support from opposition parliamentarians to the government and centrão was not well received by ministers heard by the report. Members of the Court evaluate the proposal as a setback, referring to a moment in the country when there was a feeling that politicians were not punished.
The PEC of the shield amends Article 53 of the Constitution and states that deputies and senators may only be prosecuted with prior authorization from the respective Legislative House. The vote will be secret, which, according to critics, can make it difficult to hold parliamentarians responsible for irregularities.
The PEC comes in a moment of growing tension between powers, especially after STF decisions that directly reached congressmen. Behind the scenes, ministers evaluate that the proposal can pave the way for a climb of measures that seek to limit the scope of judicial decisions, weakening the brake and counterweight system provided for in the Constitution.
