CEBU CITY – Former High Court Chief Justice and Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations Hilario Davide Jr. Monday reminded the public about the impeachment complaint filed against him by administration Presidential aspirant Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, a move which Davide stressed, was an attempt to discredit the judiciary.

Davide Jr., who arrived in Cebu after retiring from the UN to help out in the gubernatorial campaign of his son, did not mention Teodoro’s name directly but the question thrown to him was whether or not the filing of impeachment complaint had effects on his presidential preference.

To recall, in 2003, Teodoro, then a Congressman, led his Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) partymates in the Lower House in a controversial move to impeach Davide Jr., then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. That exercise almost caused a constitutional crisis and Teodoro was accused then of acting in support of the interests of his uncle, NPC head, Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, Jr. who had pending cases with the Supreme Court.

Davide Jr. said the impeachment move had a “tremendous” effect on the judiciary and pointed out that “it was not so much a case against him than a case to destroy the independence of the judiciary.”

During a press conference in this city, Davide Jr. asked, “If the man can afford at that early time, by way of an impeachment case, to try and destroy the independence of the judiciary, can he be trusted later on to protect the independence of the Supreme Court?”

With his son running under the Liberal Party (LP) banner, Davide Jr. said choosing to support the LP and the tandem of Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino and vice-presidential partner Manuel “Mar” Roxas Jr. was a personal choice not meant to get back at Teodoro.

“I have chosen him (Aquino) and his running mate because I know of their highest qualifications, integrity wise,” said Davide Jr..

He, however, continued to criticize those behind the move to impeach him from the Supreme Court.
“Remember that the judiciary is the bulwark of democracy, the protector of the rule of law, and if one seeks to destroy that system, that order of government, through the process of impeachment without basis, then I would submit to the people, think about it,” Davide Jr. said.

Then NPC solons, Teodoro and Felix William B. Fuentebella, went to the extent of conducting a powerpoint presentation to discuss the issue before their colleagues, accusing Davide Jr. of “culpable violations of the Constitution, various counts of transgressions against the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, multiple acts of malfeasance and abundant breach of public trust, and thoughtless extravagance in the disbursement and use of the Judiciary Development Fund.” Such efforts were all to naught.