THE impeachment complaints lodged against seven Supreme Court (SC) justices who voted to oust former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno are not likely to prosper, MalacaƱang said on Friday, August 24.
As this developed, House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the House of Representatives will expedite its resolution on the impeachment complaints.
"He (House Secretary General Robert Maling) has already transmitted the impeachment charge to my office and then they will send me the transmittal for my signature later here in Pampanga so that I can transmit it also today to the Rules Committee so that the Rules Commitee can have it read out on Tuesday," Arroyo said in an interview in Sitio Pasbul, in Porac, Pampanga.
She continued: "the most important thing is to expedite it one way or another so that it does not really disturb the legislative agenda ."
In a radio interview Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said he saw no merit in questioning the decision of majority of the SC justices to grant Solicitor General Jose Calida's quo warranto plea against Sereno.
Roque's statement came after House opposition lawmakers sought the impeachment of Associate Justices Teresita De Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr., and Alexander Gesmundo for culpable violation of the 1987 Constitution and betrayal of public trust.
"Naniniwala po kami na walang merito iyan at inaasahan namin na mababasura kaagad iyan ng Committee on Justice kasi, whether be it on form or substance, nakita po natin na nasa hurisdiksyon ng Korte Suprema iyong desisyon nila kay dating Chief Justice Sereno," the Palace official said.
(We believe that it has no merit and we expect that it will be immediately junked by the Committee on Justice because whether be it on form or substance, we see that the decision on former Chief Justice Sereno is within the Supreme Court's jurisdiction.)
"Ang sabi po ng Saligang Batas, merong hurisdiksyon ang Korte Suprema pagdating sa mga petisyon para sa quo warranto. So, hindi ko po maintindihan kung bakit naging impeachable offense iyan," he addrd.
(The Constitution says the Supreme Court has jurisdiction when it comes to the quo warranto petitions. So I don't understand why it becomes impeachable offense.)
On Thursday, August 23, Representatives Edcel Lagman (Albay), Gary Alejano (Magdalo party-list), Teddy Baguilat Jr. (Ifugao), and Tomasito Villarin (Akbayan Citizen's Action party-list) filed the impeachment cases against the seven SC justices.
The Supreme Court on May 11 voted 8-6 in favor of the Calida's quo warranto petition, seeking nullification of Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno's appointment as the head magistrate.
The high tribunal's decision was penned by Tijam.
Samuel Martires, a former SC justice who also vored for Sereno's ouster, was initially eyed as one of the respondents but was removed after he was named as the head of the Ombudsman's office.
De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, and Reyes are among the candidates vying for the chief justice post vacated by Sereno. (SunStar Philippines)