Impeach raps vs SC justices dismissed
THE Committee on Justice of the House of Representatives on Tuesday threw out the impeachment complaint filed against seven Supreme Court justices who voted to oust former chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno via quo warranto.
Voting 22-0, the panel approved the committee report and the resolution dismissing the consolidated complaints filed by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, and Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano in less than 10 minutes.
Oriental Mindoro 1st District Rep. Salvador Leachon presided over the hearing which was attended by Speaker Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo.
The complaint was filed on August 23 against former Associate Justice now Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo- de Castro, Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr., and Alexander Gesmundo for alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in connection with their May 11 decision to remove Sereno through quo warranto proceedings.
“With about 22 votes in favor of the motion, the seven impeachment complaints against the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as well as the six associate justices of the Supreme Court, the impeachment complaints are hereby dismissed and the committee report is now considered approved,” Leachon said.
On September 4, the justice committee found the impeachment case sufficient in form.
A week later, lawmakers found the complaint insufficient in substance “for lack of concrete evidence.”
Lagman said his group would appeal the decision of the justice panel.
“We will challenge the validity of the resolution because it did not comply with the rules,” he told reporters.
Citing the Committee on Rules, Lagman said out of 68 members of the committee, there are 34 regular members and 34 ex-officio members who can decide on the matter. The prevailing decision should be 50 percent plus one, equivalent to a total of at least 35 votes.
“Fifty percent is 35, not 22,” he said. Lagman previously maintained that the quo warranto petition against Sereno was “malevolent, orchestrated, conspiratorial and malicious.”