House panel junks impeachment rap vs. Leonen

MANILA – The House Committee on Justice on Thursday junked the impeachment complaint filed against Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen due to insufficiency in form.

With a vote of 44-0, the members of the committee dismissed the impeachment complaint filed by Edwin Cordevilla, secretary-general of the Filipino League of Advocates for Good Government, due to the complainant’s lack of personal knowledge and authentic documents to support his allegations.

“Being hearsay and not based on authentic record, we cannot take this as a ground even on the question of verification on the matter of the court,” Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso, panel chair, said.

Under the House Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings, the verification of the complaint should be based on the complainant’s “personal knowledge” or “authentic records”.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco urged the public to respect the decision of the committee, as he assured that Congress would be more focused on passing bills that would help the country battle the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“The House Committee on Justice has spoken and we must respect its decision. With the dismissal of the impeachment complaint against Justice Leonen, Congress can now focus more on the task at hand, which is to produce legislation that would further help our kababayans and the economy recover from the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Velasco said.

Leonen, an appointee of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, is facing an impeachment complaint for alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust.

However, the magistrate said the issues raised in the impeachment complaint are false.

Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Angelo Marcos Barba, a cousin of defeated vice presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, endorsed the impeachment complaint filed against Leonen.

In the complaint, Cordevilla accused Leonen of culpable violation of the Constitution for allegedly failing to dispose of at least 37 cases within 24 months.

Cordevilla noted that this violates the constitutional mandate requiring the speedy disposition of cases.

The complaint was filed after the camp of Marcos failed to make Leonen inhibit from the electoral protest case filed by Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo.

Last February, the SC, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), unanimously dismissed Marcos’ electoral protest.