House justice panel junks impeachment complaint vs Leonen
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 12:43 p.m.) — Voting 44-0, the House justice committee swiftly dismissed Thursday the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.
Lawmakers, including several House leaders, pointed out that the complaint largely relied on news reports, did not include original documents, and was not based on the complainant’s personal knowledge.
“Therefore, it is not sufficient in form. It is not sufficiently verified. And its verification is a travesty because it says, ‘My own personal knowledge,’ and then what is being attached and being cited are newspaper, online reports,” Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez said during the hearing.
House justice committee chair Vicente Veloso III also assailed the impeachment complaint for the same reasons, pointing out that the attached news clippings are hearsay evidence and cannot be admitted.
“This impeachment complaint, sad to state, is a mere scrap of paper,” said Senior Deputy Speaker Salvador “Doy” Leachon.
‘More pressing problems’
“Considering that we have so many pressing problems that we have right now, I think the better way to deal with this is to dismiss this impeachment complaint based on insufficiency as to form,” Leachon continued.
Following impeachment rules, the complaint will now be sent back to the House’s secretary general with an explanation of why the panel found that the complaint was insufficient in form.
Veloso also said the panel will also explain why it decided to junk the complaint right away.
“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,” Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said in a statement after the justice panel junked the complaint.
With the panel scrapping the impeachment complaint against Leonen, no impeachment proceedings can be initiated against him within a year.
Edwin Cordevilla, who identified himself as secretary general of the Filipino League of Advocates for Good Government, filed the complaint against Leonen which was endorsed by Rep. Angelo Barba (Ilocos Norte).
Barba is the cousin of former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos whose poll protest was unanimously junked by the Supreme Court in a decision penned by Leonen.
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