House panel set to discuss impeach raps vs. 7 SC justices on Sept. 4

The House Committee on Justice is set to begin on September 4 its deliberations on the impeachment complaints filed against seven Supreme Court justices who voted to oust former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

House panel chair Salvador "Doy" Leachon made the remark on Sunday as he discussed the procedure that his committee will undertake regarding the impeachment complaints.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Leachon said the complaints will already be included in the Order of Business of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, the day of the resumption of the session of Congress after a week-long adjournment, and will be referred to the Committee on Justice on the same day.

"Under the rules, we have the three-day notice rule. Number one, to notify all the respondents. Pangalawa, for us to also produce yung napakaraming records. Ipapa-reproduce natin for the perusal of 55 members," he said.

"Ang target natin, mga September 4 kasi following the three-day notice rule, sa September 4 na yan," he added.

Opposition lawmakers on Thursday charged Associate Justices Teresita De Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Andres Reyes, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam and Alexander Gesmundo with culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust over the role in the ouster of Sereno through the warranto petition.

Leachon said the committee will jointly hear the complaints, as they all have similar concerns.

"Pito yun, so joint hearing na lang to make it easier and simple," he said.

Malacañang, however, is confident that impeachment complaint against the seven justices will be dismissed.

“Naniniwala po kami na walang merito iyan at inaasahan namin na mababasura kaagad iyan ng Committee on Justice,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview on national radio last Saturday.

While the executive branch has its own opinion on the matter, Leachon said the House is independent from it and has the sole jurisdiction to hear the complaints.

"We have yet to see. And we have to follow. Ang impeachment kasi ay pambihira. Hindi lahat ng committee hearings and procedure ay nakasaad sa Constitution. Itong impeachment ay nakalagay yan sa Article XI ng 1987 Constitution," he said.

But Leachon assured the public and the respondents that his committee will deal with the complaints with "utmost impartiality."

"For sure, [we will be fair] 100 percent under my watch dito sa Committee on Justice. Even higher than that," he said.

"Those involved in these complaints, particularly the seven justices, I can assure them and I can guarantee them that the Committee on Justice will try and hear these with utmost impartiality," he added. —LBG, GMA News