Uphill battle seen in case vs justices

MANILA, Philippines — With the filing of impeachment complaint by opposition congressmen against seven Supreme Court justices comes the more daunting task of convincing majority lawmakers  to support it, opposition Rep. Gary Alejano said yesterday.

But while getting the support of the majority could be an uphill battle, the apparent disunity among coalition forces in the majority could work to the advantage of opposition lawmakers, Alejano added.

He cited as proof of disunity the removal of Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez as Speaker and his replacement by Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Alvarez’s ouster came on the day President Duterte was to deliver his third State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) on July 23.

“It shows there are cracks within the dominant party,” Alejano said at a news forum in Quezon City .

He admitted they might only get 40 votes if the different coalitions within the “genuine” minority bloc don’t give them support. The impeachers need at least one-third of all House members – or 98 – to send their complaints to the Senate for trial.

Facing impeachment are newly appointed Chief Justice Teresita de Castro, and Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Andres Reyes, Francis Jardelez, Noel Tijam and Alexander Gesmundo.

Alejano said removing the seven  would actually favor Duterte as it allow him to choose the people that he wants.

“What we are trying to correct here is using quo warranto in removing a chief justice,” he said.

The House of Representatives is set to start hearings on the impeachment complaints against the seven justices next week.

Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. yesterday said he had asked the committee on justice to begin holding hearings on Wednesday.

He said upon instructions of Arroyo, the complaints would be included in the House order of business for referral to the justice committee upon the resumption of session on Tuesday.

Arroyo indicated on Friday that she wanted the impeachment process hastened.

“The most important thing is to expedite it one way or another so that it does not really disturb the legislative agenda,” she said.

The so-called Magnificent 7 opposition group of Albay Reps. Edcel Lagman of Albay, Teodoro Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao, Tom Villarin of Akbayan, and Alejano filed separate complaints against the seven justices.

Three other members of the Lagman group did not sign the petitions, although they said they support the justices’ impeachment.

Lagman and his colleagues are considered members of the independent minority, since the House leadership has recognized Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez and his followers as the official minority.

He told The STAR yesterday that he expected more lawmakers belonging to the independent minority to support his group’s impeachment move.

He said some House members with the leftist Makabayan bloc and the group of Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo have expressed their willingness to sign the impeachment petitions.

However, reached for comment, Quimbo said he and his party mates in the Liberal Party (LP) have yet to discuss the ouster move against the seven justices.

Reps. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna and Antonio Tinio of Alliance of Concerned Teachers, who belong to Makabayan, did not respond to text messages asking for comment.

Lagman and Baguilat are LP members, but unlike Quimbo, they have been critics of President Duterte since the start of the 17th Congress in July 2016.

Quimbo, on the other hand, had been a member of the pro-administration majority coalition in the House and part of the chamber’s leadership.

He held the position of deputy speaker until July 23, when he said he automatically gave up the post by abstaining in the voting for Arroyo as new Speaker. Arroyo replaced Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez.

Quimbo and Alvarez loyalists tried unsuccessfully to grab the minority leadership from Suarez.

Lagman said he does not expect the members of the Arroyo-led majority to support his group’s impeachment move.

This means that even if all independent lawmakers sign the complaints, they would not be enough to get the seven justices impeached. The Magnificient 7, Makabayan and Quimbo’s LPs are fewer than 50. – With Jess Diaz