OPPOSITION lawmakers on Tuesday, December 5, criticized the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno amid the move of the House justice committee to look into some lawmakers' statements that supposedly cast aspersion on the proceedings.
House committee on justice chair Reynaldo Umali's move to look into the statement of some congressman came shortly after Lorenzo Gadon was threatened with contempt for claiming that a certain oligarch will bribe the senators to make them vote against Sereno's ouster.
Umali believes the committee should also look into some of the statements of some congressmen which cast aspersion on the proceedings. Umali however refused to disclose who are these congressmen.
At a press conference, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said that the looming move to bar them even from speaking their own opinion is a violation of the constitutional rights.
"Matagal nang ginagawa ng committee to muscle the counsel of the chief justice as well as members of the house who are non-members of the committee," Lagman said.
"These are all violations of the basic constitutional rights and the parliamentary practice at the house of representatives," added Lagman.
Lagman believes the congressmen opposing the ongoing impeachment proceedings should not be called upon for stating their "honest opinion."
Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said the committee went far from doing its main role which is to determine the complaint's form and substance.
"Ngayon ang ginagawa nila, sila na mismo ang naghahanap ng mga ebidensya para ma-justify yung probable cause," he said.
Erice called the ongoing proceedings a "fishing expedition," and a "propaganda" to establish a public opinion against the Chief Justice so that she will receive a Senate ruling favoring her ouster.
"The committee on justice is just wasting their time," said Erice.
Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said he cannot refrain from commenting about the ongoing hearings as he had also experienced filing an impeachment complaint.
"Hndi natin maiwasan especially ako po ay nakaranasan kaya nasabi ko right from the start na double standard yung committee. Gagawin niya pag pag gusto niya, pag hindi gagawan ng paraan," Alejano said.
Alejano's impeachment complaints filed against no less than President Rodrigo Duterte last May were junked for being insufficient in substance.
Alejano was grilled back then by the justice committee for citing media reports as his evidence and for having no personal knowledge on the complaints he had filed alleging the president of being involved in summary killings.
Alejano said that if the committee will apply consistency, the complaint against the Chief Justice should have been junked also for being insufficient in substance, just like the cases he had filed against the President. (SunStar Philippines)