House committee report junking impeachment complaints vs Chief Justice, six others approved

September 25, 2018

The House committee on justice, chaired by Rep. Doy Leachon of Oriental Mindoro, on Tuesday unanimously approved the committee report dismissing the consolidated impeachment complaints against Supreme Court Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro and six other magistrates for insufficient substance.

All 22 House members present, including former President and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, approved the committee report.

The impeachment complaints, filed by Reps. Edcel Lagman of  Albay, Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary Alejano and Teddy Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao, alleged that de Castro, Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr. and Alexander Gesmundo committed culpable violation of the Constitution for removing former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno through the quo warranto petition.

De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, Jardeleza and Tijam were also accused of betrayal of public trust for refusing to inhibit from voting on the quo warranto petition after testifying against Sereno in the congressional impeachment complaint hearings.

Last September 11, the committee  ruled that the recital of facts did not constitute the offense charged and therefore not determinative of the jurisdiction of the committee. Hence, the panel ruled that the impeachment complaints were insufficient in substance.

During the hearing, Leachon reported that Lagman raised a motion for reconsideration following the September 11 vote.

However, the motion is not sanctioned by the rules as Lagman was only a complainant and not a member of the Committee.

Lagman was instead asked to file a manifestation to elucidate his points against the ruling of insufficiency of substance.

"Unfortunately, for the information of everyone, Congressman Lagman did not file any manifestation or any pleading to that effect," Leachon said.  DMS