House panel eyes to end del Castillo impeach hearings

Monday, February 13, 2012

THE House committee on justice is determined to finish this week its hearings on the impeachment complaint against Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo despite the latter's reported "wellness leave".

"We are racing against time and we will hold these marathon hearings to comply with the constitutional requirement of presenting a report before the plenary within sixty session days," said committee chairman Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr.

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"If Justice del Castillo will not appear, he can send his authorized representative to the panel. It's his choice," he added.

The justice committee is scheduled to determine probable cause in the impeachment complaint Tuesday.

Committee members voted 27-4-1 last week to find the impeachment complaint against Castillo sufficient in grounds.

Del Castillo is accused of betrayal of public trust for plagiarizing a ruling on World War II comfort women. At least 10 lawmakers endorsed the complaint.

Several paragraphs of the SC justice's ruling was allegedly borrowed without proper attribution from "A Fiduciary Theory of Jus Cogens" by Evan Criddle and Evan Fox-Decent, "Breaking the Silence: On Rape as an International Crime" by Mark Ellis, and "Enforcing Erga Omnes Obligations in International Law" by Christian Tams.

For the impeachment complaint to reach the House plenary, the justice committee should find probable cause to impeach del Castillo.

The panel aims to finish its marathon hearings by Wednesday this week.

Supreme Court spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez earlier said that del Castillo filed for wellness leave after undergoing an "unsuccessful" heart bypass.

Del Castillo's leave will run for two to three weeks. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)