SC impeach case hearings set for September 4

MANILA, Philippines — The 55-member committee on justice of the House of Representatives will start hearing the impeachment complaint against seven Supreme Court justices who booted out chief justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno last May.

While Congress has a tight schedule, panel chairman Rep. Doy Leachon of Oriental Mindoro said the House leadership under Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is mandated to hear the complaints, if only to determine whether indeed it has substance or not.

“Under the rules, we have a three-day notice rule. Number one: to notify all the respondents. Number two: for us to also produce the voluminous records. We also have to reproduce them for the perusal of the members,” Leachon told radio dzBB.

“Our target is Sept. 4 following the three-day notice rule. So, it’s Sept. 4,” he said.

Congress will resume session tomorrow after a two-week break.

Four lawmakers of the self-proclaimed “Magnificent 7” group last week filed an impeachment complaint against seven of the eight SC justices led by now Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro who nullified Sereno’s appointment in August 2012.

The eighth magistrate, Samuel Martires, was excluded after he was appointed by President Duterte to head the Office of the Ombudsman.

The opposition members practically wanted the high tribunal abolished since the 15-man SC now has only 13 members following the ouster of Sereno and the appointment of Martires last July 26.

Reps. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar and Winston Castelo of Quezon City, meantime, welcomed the decision of Arroyo to expedite the deliberations for the impeachment complaints so that it will not derail the administration’s legislative agenda.

“I support the decision to expedite the resolution of the impeachment case so that we can tackle vital legislation, especially the budget. It would also be unfair to the accused if the case is not resolved immediately because it would affect their credibility,” Evardone said.

Evardone heads the House committee on banks and financial intermediaries.

Castelo, for his part, manifested that “it would be best for the interest of justice to resolve the issue at once to remove any cloud of doubt on the character and competence of the accused.”

“The public will be best served here for as long as the committee on justice will act with deliberate speed so as not to distract other pressing legislative concerns,” said Castelo, chairman of the House committee on Metro Manila development.

Lawmakers from the Liberal Party wanted half of 13 current SC justices impeached.

“The filing of the impeachment complaint is the proper and legal venue to seek accountability on their actions,” Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said.

Alejano, a former Marine captain, was the same congressman who filed an impeachment complaint in early 2017 against Duterte, where he was supported by a handful of others from the seven-man Makabayan bloc, but it was eventually dismissed by lawmakers.

He was joined in the complaint by Liberal Party lawmakers from the independent opposition faction, among them Reps. Edcel Lagman of Albay, Teddy Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao and Tom Villarin of Akbayan party-list which has allied itself with LP since 2010.

Not among the signatories but are supportive of the move are Reps. Edgar Erice of Caloocan, Raul Daza of Northern Samar and Emmanuel Billones of Capiz – all stalwarts and members of the once powerful LP whose chairman is former president Benigno Aquino III.

In a press conference held at the media center, Lagman told reporters they have to file the impeachment complaint so that the SC magistrates will not get away with ousting Sereno, and for purposes of “restoring judicial independence” as well.

He and his colleagues insisted that De Castro and Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Andres Reyes, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam and Alexander Gesmundo committed “culpable violation of the (1987) Constitution and betrayal of public trust.”