The marathon voting on a House committee report dismissing impeachment files against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was finalized with the overwhelming victory of the pro-administration lawmakers on Tuesday.

After more than 23-hour debate, the House of Representatives decided around 3:35 p.m. to accept the report of the justice committee to stop the impeachment against the president with a vote of 158 to 51 and six abstentions.

However, the opposition lawmakers earlier conceded the defeat around 12:42 p.m. when only 41 voted against the report and 121 voted to support it.

House Minority Leader Francis Escudero told reporters that the opposition had accepted the decision but added that the president failed to answer the important questions in the minority's amended complaint.

However, the opposition politicians said that they would keep up its campaign to unseat her through the courts and in the streets.

Source: Xinhua