Arroyo says House will “expedite” impeachment process vs 7 SC justices

August 24, 2018

Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she will speed up the impeachment process against seven associate justices  of the Supreme Court (SC) to ensure the House legislative agenda, including approval of the 2019 P3.757-trillion national budget will not be delayed.

“The most important thing is to expedite it (impeachment process) one way or another so that it does not really disturb the legislative agenda,” Arroyo told reporters in an ambush interview after the distribution of relief goods to the Aeta community in Sitio Pasbul, Brgy. Camias in Porac, Pampanga Friday.

Arroyo said she was scheduled to sign the transmittal letter of the impeachment complaints so that the House committee on rules chaired by Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando  Andaya Jr. will include this in the Order of Business on Tuesday for plenary referral to the House committee on justice led by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Salvador” Leachon.

She said acting House Secretary General Dante Roberto Maling sent the impeachment complaints to her office.

“I checked with the Secretary General this morning (Friday) on my way here. He 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 (Friday) to the [House] rules committee so that the [panel] can have it read out on Tuesday,” said Arroyo.

Leachon said they “will be guided by the rules on impeachment.”

“The justice committee will work independently regardless of the opinion of anybody,” said Leachon in an interview.

In an bid to disqualify four SC justices vying for Chief Justice, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, and Akbayan party-list Rep. Tom Villarin filed Thursday an impeachment complaints against them and three other magistrates.

They alleged Justices Teresita de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Andres Reyes, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, and Alexander Gesmundo are guilty of culpable violation of the Constitution when they took away the powers of Congress to impeach when they voted in favor of granting the quo warranto petition against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. DMS