Palace finds no merit in impeachment raps vs 7 SC justices

FILE: Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announces during a press briefing in Malacañang on July 19, 2018 that the Landbank of the Philippines, the Department of Agrarian Reform, and the Department of Agriculture have launched the Accessible and Sustainable Lending Program for Small Farmers. The program aims to increase the income of small farmers, especially the Agrarian Reform beneficiaries, by providing them with financial assistance for their agricultural needs at a low interest rate of 6% per annum. (TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

Malacañang on Friday, August 24, asserted that the impeachment complaint lodged against seven of the Supreme Court’s (SC) justices who voted in favor of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s removal from office bore no merit.

“Naniniwala po kami na walang merito iyan at inaasahan namin na mababasura kaagad iyan ng Committee on Justice kasi whether be it on form or substance, nakita po natin na nasa hurisdiksyon ng Korte Suprema iyong desisyon nila kay dating Chief Justice Sereno (We believe that it has no merit and we expect that the Committee on Justice will immediately junk it because whether be it on form or substance, we have seen that the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over its decision on former Chief Justice Sereno),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. told dzRH.

On Thursday, August 23, several lawmakers from the House of Representatives filed the impeachment case against against Justices Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Andres Reyes, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, and Alexander Gesmundo.

These seven justices are accused of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in line with its decision to grant Solicitor General Jose Calida’s quo warranto petition which seeks to nullify Sereno’s appointment as the top magistrate.

Former SC Associate Justice Samuel Martires, who was also among the eight justices who voted in favor of the petition, however, was not included in the complaint as he has been appointed as the new Ombudsman, replacing former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.

But Roque believed that the magistrates did not do anything wrong in regards with their decision.

“Ang sabi po ng Saligang Batas, merong hurisdiksyon ang Korte Suprema pagdating sa mga petisyon para sa quo warranto (Under the Constitution, the Supreme Court has jurisdiction on quo warranto petitions),” the Palace official said.

“So, hindi ko po maintindihan, kung bakit naging impeachable offense iyan (I do not understand why it became an impeachable offense),” he added.

Despite the impeachment complaint they are facing, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) tasked to screen applicants for posts in judiciary, shortlisted De Castro, Bersamin, and Peralta for the head magistrate post.

[READ: De Castro, Bersamin, Peralta included in JBC shortlist for CJ post]

De Castro and Peralta got six votes, while Bersamin obtained five votes.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, ex-officio member of the JBC, also previously said that the opposition lawmakers’ complaint will not have any effect on the nomination of these SC justices for the Chief Justice post.