Solon mulls impeach raps vs. SC justices who granted quo warranto petition

Akbayan party-list Representative Tom Villarin on Thursday bared his plan to file impeachment complaints against the eight Supreme Court justices who voted to grant the quo warranto petition against ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

At a media forum in Quezon City, Villarin said the eight justices committed culpable violation of the Constitution, itself a ground for impeachment, for supposedly arrogating upon themselves the sole authority of Congress to remove impeachable officials through impeachment.

"I think the next proper and logical move is to file an impeachment complaint against the eight justices for culpable violation of the Constitution. We think that these eight justices have a very unconstitutional decision by usurping the powers of Congress over an impeachable official," Villarin said.

"It is clearly stated in our Constitution that you can only remove a sitting justice through an impeachment proceeding and Congress has started an impeachment proceeding," he added.

Supreme Court justices who voted for the grant of the quo warranto petition include Justices Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Samuel Martires, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr. and Alexander Gesmundo.

Sereno had asked six of these justices to inhibit from the case due to alleged "bias" and "animosity," but her pleading was dismissed. All voted in granting the quo warranto petition.

Villarin is optimistic that the planned impeachment complaints against the justices would gain the support of his colleagues at the House of Representatives.

"I believe that Congress, especially the House, would do its constitutional duty of protecting our Constitution, the Congress being the sole institution in which an impeachment complaint will be filed and heard," he said.

His fellow lawmakers in the Magnificent 7 opposition bloc, civil society groups, lawyers groups and those from the private sector are also expected to support this move, Villarin said.

Members of the progressive Makabayan bloc are also considering filing impeachment complaints.

"Pinag-aaralan ng Makabayan bloc [yan]. Malinaw naman ang aming tindig sa nakaraan," Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate said during a separate press conference.

"Nilabanan namin ang impeachment ni Chief Justice Sereno, maging yung usapin sa quo warranto proceedings dahil sa tingin namin, talagang atake sa hudikatura at pag-castrate yun sa power ng Congress to impeach and give evidence so warrant to convict an impeachable official," he added.

Villarin said the complaints may be filed before Congress goes on a sine die break this June.

If filed, the House Committee on Justice is expected to process the complaints --- the same panel which handled the impeachment complaint against Sereno. — RSJ, GMA News