House asked to reverse ruling on impeach complaints vs justices

A lawmaker yesterday asked the committee on justice of the House of Representatives to reverse its ruling that threw out the impeachment complaints against seven Supreme Court justices.

Invoking a technicality, opposition Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay wrote panel chairman Rep. Doy Leachon of Oriental Mindoro to inform him that the vote among committee members Tuesday was invalid because they failed to obtain a majority vote among its 35 members.

He cited Rule 3 Section 8 of the House Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings, which requires an absolute majority – or 50 percent plus one – of votes in order to approve a committee report.

The Leachon panel voted 22-0 this week in favor of dismissing the impeachment complaints against SC justices, led by Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, for lack of substance.

The jurists were accused of conspiring to oust De Castro’s predecessor Ma. Lourdes Sereno.

Under the Lagman version, the justice committee has 34 regular members and 34 exofficio members. He argued that only 22 of them voted to accept the motion to approve the committee report and the resolution.

“The seven consolidated impeachment complaints are deemed sufficient in substance and the next phase of the proceedings, which is the determination of probable cause or grounds for impeachment, should be calendared by the honorable committee,” he said.

But Leachon clarified the majority is 17 since the committee only has 33 members.

He insisted that the absolute majority is 17 owing to the fact that there were 22 congressmen who voted to approve the committee report, which makes the proceedings legal and binding.

Among those who faced impeachment complaints were De Castro and her colleagues Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Andres Reyes, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam and Alexander Gesmundo who have all been accused of betrayal of public trust.