The House of Representatives’ committee on justice on Monday expressed readiness to conduct marathon hearings on the impeachment complaint filed against seven justices of the Supreme Court, including newly appointed Chief Justice Teresita de Castro.
Oriental Mindoro Rep. Salvador Leachon, committee chairman, predicted the swift resolution of the impeachment complaints against the seven justices “with the expected cooperative attitude of the respondents in resolving the ouster move against them.”
Leachon said the SC justices are expected to recognize the constitutional power of the House to hear impeachment complaints.
“The impeachment complaint filed by opposition lawmakers led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman against de Castro, Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Andres Reyes, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, and Alexander Gesmundo, is expected to be read before the House in plenary session Tuesday following its inclusion in the Order of Business by the House committee on rules. The House rules committee, chaired by Majority Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya, Jr. will then refer the complaint to the justice panel.
“I expect them to be cooperative. They were witnesses during the [impeachment deliberations of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno]. I know they will respect the jurisdiction of each department as we submit also to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court whenever a case is filed before them,” said Leachon.
At the same time, Leachon said the House will extend utmost courtesy to the SC justices, and that the House justice panel members will decide on the complaint based on evidence.
On Sunday, Leachon said the initial impeachment hearing against the seven justices will be on Sept. 4.
The opposition lawmakers said the seven SC justices allegedly are accused of committing a culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of the public trust when they ruled in favor of the quo warranto petition filed against Sereno by Solicitor General Jose Calida.
The lawmakers said the quo warranto petition was illegal, and that the only way to oust Sereno was through an impeachment.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday defended his decision to appoint De Castro as chief justice, given the Court’s tradition of considering seniority.
“Whoever goes first will be promoted first and that would go for everybody,” Duterte said following the National Heroes’ Day rites in Taguig City.
He said the same tradition of seniority is followed in the Civil Service Commission and even the military.
be the same for all justices, not only for De Castro. All of them,” the President said. “Unless of course, they refuse or maybe they would opt to retire, or the tenure is short.”
Asked about the expectations he has for the new chief justice, the President said he was unfamiliar with all the justices.
“I am not familiar with any of them actually. I don’t know any justice personally. Truthfully, I have never talked to anyone there,” said Duterte. “Remember that I’m not even a practitioner in Manila.”
In an interview with the ANC news channel, Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Abdiel Dan Fajardo said De Castro, with a term of under two months, would be a transition chief justice, but said her appointment solidified the ruling on the quo warranto petition to oust Sereno.