Impeachment ni Leonen daraan sa proseso – solons (Not just a numbers game)    

GAYA ng dapat sundin, daraan sa normal na proseso, alinsunod sa Saligang Batas ang impeachment complaint na inihain laban kay Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.

Ayon kay Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez, hinihintay lamang ng House Committee on Justice ang pormal na referral mula sa opisina ng speaker.

“Once it is received by the committee by referral, there will be now a determination by the committee on whether it complies with the requirements of form,” ayon kay Rodriguez na vice chair ng committee on justice.

Ani Rodriguez, pagbobotohan ng komite kung sapat o supisyente ang porma at kung substantibo ang habla laban kay Leonen.

“Whether the complaint has the basic or the grounds provided by the Constitution, which are culpable violation of the constitution, bribery, treason, graft and corruption and other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust,” ani Rodriguez.

Pagkatapos ng botohan didinigin ng komite ang habla.

“In the hearing, we will afford all the opportunity to Associate Justice Marvic Leonen to be able to answer the complaint and to be able to produce evidence on his behalf. We will make sure that this will be fair and objective,” ani Rodriguez.

Maglalabas ng report ang komite at resolusyon  at ito ay pagbobotohan ng plenaryo.

Pag inaprobahan ito, ang resolusyon ng komite ay gagawing Articles of Impeachment.

“The Articles of Impeachment upon a vote of one-third of all the members of Congress will be immediately transmitted to the Senate, who will conduct the trials. They are the hearers of the Articles of Impeachment,” ani Rodriguez.

Anang Deputy Speaker, maaaring mag-umpisa ang komite sa pagboto kung substantibo ang habla sa isang taong dahil magbabakasyon ang Kamara sa 18 Disyembre 2020.

“We cannot rush this because we are talking here of the member of the highest magistrate, the highest court of the land,” aniya.

Sa panig ni  AKO Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin, vice-chairman ng justice committee, pagpapasyahan ng mga miyembro ang merito ng kaso.

“We should stop saying that impeachment is just a numbers game. It’s not. We have rules to follow and

we have to observe due process,” ani Garbin.  (GERRY BALDO)