Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has reportedly endorsed an impeachment complaint filed against Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, a document made available to Manila Standard showed.
The one-page letter indicated that Velasco endorsed the complaint to the House Committee on Rules on March 25, 2021.
In the endorsement letter, Velasco directed the rules committee to include the complaint in the order of business, thus starting the process of conducting hearings on the complaint.
“We endorse herewith the original copies of the Impeachment Complaint filed by Mr. Edwin M. Cordevilla against Associate Justice Mario Victor Leonen of the Supreme Court of the Philippines,” Velasco’s endorsement read.
Velasco’s endorsement was received by the House rules committee at 10:05 a.m. on the same date the Speaker wrote it.
The Manila Standard sought Velasco’s comment on the endorsement but got no response as of press time.
Edwin Cordevilla filed the complaint against Leonen at the House on December 7, 2020.
Cordevilla, secretary-general of the Filipino League of Advocates for Good Governance – Maharlika (FLAGG – Maharlika), said in his complaints that Leonen deliberately violated several provisions of the 1987 Constitution and betrayed public trust.
Cordevilla’s impeachment charges were accepted and filed by Ilocos Norte Rep. Angelo Barba, cousin of former senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos.
Barba said he strongly believed Cordevilla, thus he filed the impeachment complaints against Leonen.
Among the bases of Cordevilla’s complaint against Leonen were the snail-paced release of his ponente on 82 cases filed at the Supreme Court, failure to act as chairman of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal on the electoral protests of a number of candidates in the 2019 elections, and his failure to submit his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN) for 15 years while a law professor and at one time dean at the University of the Philippines College of Law.
Aside from culpable violation of the Philippine Constitution, Leonen was also slapped with violations of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.