Magnificent Seven to proceed with action vs. SC justices
Published May 20, 2018 03:20 pm
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
There is no stopping House opposition's "Magnificent Seven" bloc to file an impeachment complaint against the eight Supreme Court justices who allegedly committed culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayed public trust when they voted in favor of the quo warranto petition against former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno "based on personal biases" and when they usurped the powers of Congress over the impeachment process.
Maria Lourdes Sereno is seen going out of her office at the Supreme Court on Friday May 11, 2018, after the high tribunal voted 8-6 to oust her. (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)
Akbayan partylist Rep. Tom Villarin said they agreed that some justices must be ousted not only because of their favorable votes on quo warranto petition against Sereno, but also because of their "specific acts".
"On the issue of filing the impeachment complaint, we have agreed that there should be a move towards that...against the eight justices. The agreement is that, basically, the complaint would focus on the culpable violation of the Constitution by the justices and betrayal of public trust," he said in a radio interview.
The SC justices who sided with 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.
"The specific acts of these justices will be assailed hindi naman yong buong decision," Villarin clarified.
He said there was culpable violation of the Constitution when some SC justices already subscribed to the impeachment process as the mode of removing a chief justice, but when they voted in favor of the petition, they rejected such process.
He said the justices also failed to fulfil their sworn oath to uphold the Constitution when they voted for the quo warranto petition "based only on their personal biases against the chief justice."
"They violated the due process clause of our constitution against Chief Justice Sereno when they became the accuser, the witness and they became the judge," Villarin said.
"There was culpable violation because they usurped the powers of \Congress over the impeachment process and specific to that, likewise, they usurped yong constitutional duty ng Judicial and Bar Council to determine who would be qualified for justice ng Supreme Court," he further explained.
Villarin accused the eight justices of betraying the public trust because of "wilful negligence" on their part to fulfil their constitutional duty of upholding the sanctity of the Constitution.
"Ang nangyari yong kanilang personaly manufest bias against the chief justice ay nangibabaw. And it resulted to serious irreprable damage to our judicial system. Again, that is the betrayal of public trust," he said.
Among those who testified against Sereno during the House Committee on Justice's impeachment proceedings were Justices De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, Jardeleza, Tijam, Martires and Reyes.
Villarin cited that there other House members from the majority coalition who are also interested to join their impeachment caravan against the eight justices.
He said the ouster complaint before Congress sine die adjournment next month.
"Even if the numbers are not on our side but we believe that this is proper and logical move. Gawin natin because this is an assertion," he said.
Villarin said the House should not be afraid in pursuing the impeachment process.
He branded the decision of Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali not to transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the plenary as an act of cowardice. "In the end it's negligent on the part of the house sa kanyang constitutional duty. So wag tayong matakot," he said.
In a separate radio interview, Bayan Muna party list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said Makabayan bloc is still studying its collective action against the justices.
He said the consultations among the coalition members are ongoing.
Alam mo naman ang Makabayan bloc, it's a coalition, kailangang mag kunsultahan bago kami maglabas ng desisyon dito," Zarate said.
Voting 8-6 in favor of Solicitor General Jose Calida's petition, the SC declared Sereno's post vacant due to her questionable qualifications on May 4, 2018.
Maria Lourdes Sereno is seen going out of her office at the Supreme Court on Friday May 11, 2018, after the high tribunal voted 8-6 to oust her. (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)
Akbayan partylist Rep. Tom Villarin said they agreed that some justices must be ousted not only because of their favorable votes on quo warranto petition against Sereno, but also because of their "specific acts".
"On the issue of filing the impeachment complaint, we have agreed that there should be a move towards that...against the eight justices. The agreement is that, basically, the complaint would focus on the culpable violation of the Constitution by the justices and betrayal of public trust," he said in a radio interview.
The SC justices who sided with 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.
"The specific acts of these justices will be assailed hindi naman yong buong decision," Villarin clarified.
He said there was culpable violation of the Constitution when some SC justices already subscribed to the impeachment process as the mode of removing a chief justice, but when they voted in favor of the petition, they rejected such process.
He said the justices also failed to fulfil their sworn oath to uphold the Constitution when they voted for the quo warranto petition "based only on their personal biases against the chief justice."
"They violated the due process clause of our constitution against Chief Justice Sereno when they became the accuser, the witness and they became the judge," Villarin said.
"There was culpable violation because they usurped the powers of \Congress over the impeachment process and specific to that, likewise, they usurped yong constitutional duty ng Judicial and Bar Council to determine who would be qualified for justice ng Supreme Court," he further explained.
Villarin accused the eight justices of betraying the public trust because of "wilful negligence" on their part to fulfil their constitutional duty of upholding the sanctity of the Constitution.
"Ang nangyari yong kanilang personaly manufest bias against the chief justice ay nangibabaw. And it resulted to serious irreprable damage to our judicial system. Again, that is the betrayal of public trust," he said.
Among those who testified against Sereno during the House Committee on Justice's impeachment proceedings were Justices De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, Jardeleza, Tijam, Martires and Reyes.
Villarin cited that there other House members from the majority coalition who are also interested to join their impeachment caravan against the eight justices.
He said the ouster complaint before Congress sine die adjournment next month.
"Even if the numbers are not on our side but we believe that this is proper and logical move. Gawin natin because this is an assertion," he said.
Villarin said the House should not be afraid in pursuing the impeachment process.
He branded the decision of Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali not to transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the plenary as an act of cowardice. "In the end it's negligent on the part of the house sa kanyang constitutional duty. So wag tayong matakot," he said.
In a separate radio interview, Bayan Muna party list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said Makabayan bloc is still studying its collective action against the justices.
He said the consultations among the coalition members are ongoing.
Alam mo naman ang Makabayan bloc, it's a coalition, kailangang mag kunsultahan bago kami maglabas ng desisyon dito," Zarate said.
Voting 8-6 in favor of Solicitor General Jose Calida's petition, the SC declared Sereno's post vacant due to her questionable qualifications on May 4, 2018.