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Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Marvic Mario Victor F. Leonen. File photo from the Philippine Supreme Court website
MANILA, Philippines – House justice commission officials assured Wednesday that the support of Ilocos Norte representative Angelo Marcos Barba will not affect the panel’s decision on the impeachment lawsuit filed against the associate judge of the Supreme Court (SC), Marvic Leonen.
Barba is the cousin of former senator Bongbong Marcos who has an electoral protest pending before the CS.
Ako Bicol’s representative, Alfredo Garbin, and Vice President Rufus Rodríguez, both vice chairs of the committee, said they will only decide on the merits of the impeachment demand.
“As for Congressman Barba’s relationship with Senator Bongbong Marcos, I think it does not affect the impeachment complaint in any way,” Garbin told a media forum.
“The committee members always decide on the merits of the case. We should stop saying that impeachment is just a numbers game. It is not. We have rules to follow and we have to appreciate, observe due process and justice, “he added.
Rodríguez said that the person who filed the impeachment lawsuit is “immaterial” since “the reasons for the presentation are not part of the process.”
“Whoever presented it is indifferent because there is a right for everyone, a congressman to support. The reasons for the presentation are not part of the process, ”he said.
“Once the form and substance are presented and fulfilled, we will hear the case,” he added.
In the House of Representatives an indictment was filed against Deputy Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen for “guilty violation of the Constitution and treason of public trust.”
The impeachment complaint was filed by Edwin Cordevilla, general secretary of the Philippine League of Good Governance Defenders, who was assisted by attorney Larry Gadon. He was backed by Barba.
The complaint said Leonen “clearly lacks integrity because he failed to file his Assets and Liabilities Statement (SALN),” citing a newspaper column that claimed Leonen failed to file his SALN for 15 years.
He added that Leonen has also been “negligent and incompetent” for allegedly failing to resolve 37 cases in the Supreme Court in violation of the constitutional mandate that cases must be resolved within 24 months after they are presented for resolution.
For his part, Leonen said he trusts that members of the House of Representatives “will do the right thing” in the impeachment complaint that was filed against him.
JPV
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