Velasco endorses Leonen impeachment rap for House plenary inclusion

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has formally endorsed to the House Committee on Rules the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.

In a letter addressed to House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez on March 25, Velasco endorsed the original copies of the impeachment complaint against Leonen for "inclusion in the order of business."

Under the rules on impeachment for the 18th Congress, the Speaker should have an impeachment complaint included in the Order of Business, or the agenda of the House session, within 10 session days from receipt.

The complaint should then be referred to the Committee on Justice within three session days.

The impeachment rap against Leonen was filed on December 7, 2020, during House's Session No. 12. On March 25, the chamber was just on its Session No. 19. 

Edwin Cordevilla, secretary general of the Filipino League of Advocates For Good Government, lodged the impeachment complaint against Leonen.

In his complaint, Cordevilla alleged that Leonen committed culpable violation of the Constitution for supposedly failing to dispose of at least 37 cases within 24 months.

This, he said, is in violation of Section 16, Article III of the Constitution which mandates the speedy disposition of cases.

Moreover, Cordevilla claimed that Leonen also violated the Constitution for "arbitrarily, willfully, intentionally, [and] deliberately" delayed the resolution of cases pending before him as chairperson of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET).

He cited a statement from Ako Bicol party-list Representative Alfredo Garbin Jr. that there were still "more than 30 pending electoral protests" pending before the HRET almost a year after Leonen was appointed to the body in October 2019.

Lastly, Cordevilla alleged that Leonen betrayed public trust when he failed to file his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth during his tenure at the University of the Philippines.

Ilocos Norte Representative Angelo Marcos Barba, a cousin of former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., endorsed the complaint against Leonen.

When the impeachment complaint was filed, the Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal, was still hearing Marcos' electoral protest against Vice President Leni Robredo. The high court in February dismissed this protest for lack of merit.

Barba said, though, that the fact that he is endorsing the complaint against Leonen, while being a cousin of Marcos, is secondary already, saying that he endorsed the complaint as Cordevilla was his constituent in Ilocos Norte.

Responding to the filing of the impeachment complaint, Leonen said Congress should not spend its time attending to "false issues" while many Filipinos are in need.

"Given the urgent and pressing needs of our people during this time of crises, we are confident that our leaders will do the right thing," the justice said.

"Certainly, this may not be the time to attend to false issues raised by some for clearly personal or vindictive reasons," he added. —KG, GMA News