Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros denounced the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen filed before the House of Representatives.
“Kalokohan. Pandemya at mga problema ng lupasay na ekonomiya at kawalan ng trabaho at gutom ng taumbayan ang dapat tinututukan ng mga nanunungkukan, hindi itong walang kakwenta-kwentang impeachment case,” Pangilinan said in a message.
Meanwhile, Hontiveros also described the impeachment case as “unnecessary and counterproductive,” saying it would only distract lawmakers and the public amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Kailangan din siguro natin tanungin: Sino ba ang lubos na makikinabang sa paggulong ng impeachment complaint na ito? Surely, not the Filipino people,” she said.
“With all due respect to our colleagues in the House of Representatives, I would like to put the spotlight back on the thousands of Filipinos who are bedridden or have lost their loved ones due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those who have lost their homes due to the recent typhoons, and those who have lost their livelihood amid the economic crisis,” she added.
Edwin Cordevilla, secretary-general of the Filipino League of Advocates For Good Government (FLAGG), filed an impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen before the House of Representatives on Monday.
Impeachment case vs. Leonen ‘foolish’ – minority senators
Lawyer Larry Gadon served as Cordevilla’s legal counsel and was also present in filing a complaint before the Office of the House Secretary-General.
In his complaint, Cordevilla accused Leonen of committing culpable violation of the Constitution for supposedly failing to dispose of at least 37 cases within 24 months.
Section 16 of Article III of the Constitution mandates the fast disposition of cases, he said.
Cordevilla also claimed that Leonen violated the Constitution for “arbitrarily, willfully, intentionally, [and] deliberately” delaying the resolution of cases pending before him as chairperson of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET).
Lastly, Cordevilla accused that Leonen betrayed public trust when he did not file his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) when he was still at the University of the Philippines.
He claimed that Leonen, from 1989 to 2003 and 2008 to 2009, or a total of 15 years, “respondent completely ignored the law” on submitting his SALN.
