‘Impeach complaint sufficient in form’
THE House Committee on Justice on Tuesday found an impeach justices of the Supreme Court who voted to oust then Chief Justice Maria Lourdes The panel upheld the complaint through a vote of 21- 0 during a hearing led by Oriental Mindoro First District Rep. Salvador Leachon. Representatives Edcel Lagman of Albay, Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao and Gary Alejano of Magdalo party- list filed the complaints on August 23 against the seven magistrates who favored the quowarranto case filed by the Office of the Solicitor General against Sereno.
Akbayan party-list Tom Villarin, who was one of the complainants, was excluded from the hearing for failing to sign the impeachment complaint, Leachon said.
“Does it make any difference if Villarin will be a complainant or not? The same allegations that he wanted to sign was actually signed already by the three congressmen, so I think it does not matter,” Leachon added.
Charged in the impeachment complaint were Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr., Alexander Gesmundo and newly appointed Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo- de Castro.
The committee will determine whether the complaints are sufficient in substance in the next hearing on September 11.