THE House justice panel has formally junked the impeachment complaints lodged against Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro and six other associate justices of the Supreme Court.
The panel voted 22-0 on Tuesday, September 25, to approve its committee report that explains why the impeachment complaints filed against Leonardo-De Castro, Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardaleza, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr., and Alexander Gesmundo were dismissed.
The complaints were filed by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano and Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat.
They said the seven magistrates have committed an impeachable offense of culpable violation of the Constitution for removing former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno from her post through a quo warranto petition.
De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, Tijam and Jardeleza were also accused of committing betrayal of public trust for their failure to inhibit in deciding the case against Sereno despite their alleged biases as seen in the committee hearings into the ouster complaint filed against the former Chief Justice.
Last September 11, the committee junked the complaints even after they were declared sufficient in substance. The complaints were also found sufficient in form last September 4.
Angkla Party-list Representative Jesulito Manalo earlier said that the complaints should be dismissed as the justices should not be removed for respecting the authority of the House of Representatives.
Manalo in the previous hearing asserted that the testimony of the justices was made through a mandatory process and was coursed through the Supreme Court en banc.
Leyte Representative Vicente Veloso, for his part, said the justices should not be penalized for their “truthful" testimony before the House of Representatives. (SunStar Philippines)