House refers impeachment complaint vs. Leonen to justice panel

May 19 ------ The House of Representatives referred the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen to the committee on justice on Tuesday. The panel will determine whether the complaint is sufficient in form and substance. According to House Majority Leader Ferdinand Romualdez, members of the committee on rules "overwhelmingly adopted the motion of Iloilo City Representative Julienne “Jam” Baronda to include the matter in the calendar of business.

Romualdez said under Section 3, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, the chamber shall have the exclusive power to initiate all cases of impeachment. "The same section of the constitutional provision mandates the House to act on a verified complaint for impeachment filed by any member of the House of Representatives or by any citizen upon a resolution of endorsement by any member thereof," he said.

"The ball is now in the hands of the House Committee on Justice, ably chaired by Leyte Rep. Vicente “Ching” Veloso III who had served as justice of the Court of Appeals," he added. Romualdez is confident that the panel would "act judiciously on the impeachment complaint based on constitutional grounds and in accordance with established rules and practices." Edwin Cordevilla, secretary-general of the Filipino League of Advocates For Good Government, lodged the impeachment complaint against Leonen last December 7, 2020.

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

Source: gmanetwork.com