Arroyo's presence in delibs gave 'go signal' to dismiss impeach raps vs. SC justices —Lagman

Albay Representative Edcel Lagman believes that the presence of Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Tuesday's impeachment deliberation against Chief Justice Teresita De Castro and six other Supreme Court justices prompted lawmakers to vote for its dismissal.

In a press conference, Lagman admitted that he and his fellow complainants saw "the writing on the wall" when Arroyo attended the impeachment deliberations.

LOOK: Speaker Arroyo attends the resumption of the House justice panel deliberations on the impeachment raps vs. CJ De Castro, six other SC justices. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/nkotp930Rm

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) September 11, 2018

"Her presence would be really implied go signal to junk the complaints as all of the members present, both majority and minority, except for Representative [Ramon] Rocamora, decided or voted to jettison the complaints," he said.

De Castro, along with Supreme Court Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Andres Reyes, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam and Alexander Gesmundo have been charged with culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust over their role in the ouster of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno through a quo warranto petition.

But with a vote of 1-23, the House Committee on Justice found the impeachment complaints filed against the justices insufficient in substance, rendering them dismissed.

But Lagman said if Arroyo was not giving any signal, she could not have attended the deliberations.

"Kung walang signal, posibleng hindi na siya pumunta doon," he said.

Lagman maintained that the complaints they filed were sufficient in substance, only that "judiciousness and fairness" are alien attributes of the House justice panel in dismissing them.

"Substance was in fact overriding but partisanship was more ascendant. The majority and the leadership-handpicked minority members of the Committee colluded to dismiss the complaints," he said.

Lagman argued that the lawmakers who claimed that the complaints were insufficient in substance went beyond the allegations, saying that the Supreme Court is supreme "even in its errors" and its decisions, rightly or wrongly, "deserve respect."

The lawmakers also said giving due course to the complaints will result in the absence of a quorum in the high court, and that since the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over the quo warranto petition, it has jurisdiction to remove impeachable officials through such, Lagman said.

"All of these arguments placed the cart before the horse because if ever they are relevant, they should be invoked only when the committee determines probable cause, which is the next level of the proceedings," Lagman said.

During the impeachment deliberation, Lagman asked the House panel if he could file a motion for reconsideration urging a review of the decision to dismiss the complaints.

But House panel chair Salvador Leachon said Lagman cannot make such motion as he is not a member of the committee.

Malacañang said Tuesday it respects the decision of the House panel to junk the impeachment complaints against the SC justices.

“We respect the constitutional mandate of the House of Representatives justice committee to vote in that manner,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said. —KG, GMA News