Romualdez to refer Leonen impeachment complaint to House Justice Committee

House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez on Sunday said he will refer the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Associate Justice Mario Victor Leonen to the House Committee on Justice within three session days.

Romualdez said the House Committee on Rules, which he chairs, will discuss the referral of the impeachment complaint against Leonen, who previously said Congress should not spend its time attending to "false issues."

“Last March 25, Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco transmitted the impeachment complaint filed by Mr. Edwin M. Cordevilla and endorsed by Ilocos Sur 2nd District Rep. Angelo Marcos Barba to our committee. We will act on it and include it in the order of business,” Romualdez said in a statement.

Edwin Cordevilla, secretary-general of the Filipino League of Advocates For Good Government, lodged the impeachment complaint against Leonen. He accused the Associate Justice of violating the 1987 Constitution when he failed to dispose of at least 37 cases within 24 months.

Meanwhile, Romualdez said the House of Representatives will also prioritize the passage of the Bayanihan to Arise As One Act or Bayanihan 3 bill which provides P405.6 billion for government pandemic response. It will be tackled upon the resumption of the three-week session on Monday before Congress' adjournment sine die on June 4.

“We need Bayanihan 3 to help ensure that the economy recovers quickly from the coronavirus disease-2019-induced crisis in a strong, sustainable, and resilient manner,” Romualdez said.

“We only have three weeks to pass this vital measure that will help our fellow Filipinos who are all affected by the pandemic, and we are confident that before we adjourn, we will be able to pass the measure,” the lawmaker added.

He also pointed out that the House Committees on Social Services, Economic Affairs, and Ways and Means have approved Bayanihan 3 but the measure still has to go through the approval of the House Committee on appropriations.

On the other hand, Romualdez said Congress will also pursue the deliberation of Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) Number 2 to amend the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution.

Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Alfredo Garbin Jr., chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, hopes his colleagues will approve RBH No. 2 on third and final reading before adjourning sine die.

“We still have seven interpellators. Hopefully, before sine die adjournment, we will be able to vote on the measure on third reading,” Garbin said in the same statement. — DVM, GMA News