(by Rep. Edcel C. Lagman during the initial consideration of the impeachment cases against 7 Supreme Court Justices by the House Committee on Justice on 04 September 2018)

We have filed these impeachment complaints for the following overriding reasons:

1. We are of the firm position that the respondent justices committed (a) culpable violation of the Constitution on two grounds for usurping the sole power of the Congress to impeach the highest officials of the Republic and arrogating the sole power of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) of vetting the qualifications and nominating the candidates for judicial positions; and (b) blatant betrayal of public trust when five of the seven justices despite their admitted persistent ill will, bias and prejudice against former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno refused to inhibit themselves from adjudicating the improvident and irregular quo warranto petition against Sereno.

2. We do not want to condone the knowing rendition of a malicious and unjust judgment by the seven respondent justices, which is offensive to the Constitution and violative of the requisite impartiality and judiciousness of neutral magistrates.

3. The decision of the respondent justices is not only a mere “error in judgment”, but a malevolent, spiteful and orchestrated decision to oust a Chief Justice against whom the majority of the respondent justices have admitted continuing ill will, bias and prejudice.

4. Afford the people the right and opportunity to exact accountability from errant and conspiratorial justices who have wittingly rendered an unjust and unconstitutional decision.

5. Regain the prestige, independence and objectivity of the Supreme Court which have been tarnished and eroded by the controversial and unconstitutional ouster of Sereno.

6. Reclaim for the Congress the sole power to impeach the highest officials of the Republic, which power the seven justices arrogated, and which the House of Representatives under the former leadership forfeited by not pursuing to its finality the impeachment proceedings that it has already started and was about to terminate when the subterfuge of a quo warranto petition was filed with the Supreme Court.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN