IMPEACHMENT VS LEONEN INIHAIN SA KAMARA

KASAMA ang legal counsel na si Atty. Larry Gadon at endorser ng kaso na si Ilocos Norte 2nd Dist. Rep. Angelo Marcos Barba, pormal na isinampa ng Filipino League of Advocates for Good Governance (FLAG) ang impeachment complaint sa Kamara laban kay Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Mario Victor Leonen kahapon ng umaga.

Sa 40-pahinang reklamo inakusahan ni  FLAG Secretary General Edwin Cordevilla ang SC magistrate ng ‘culpable violation of the Constitution’ at betrayal of public trust, na siyang pangunahing basehan para mapatalsik sa puwesto ang isang mataas na opisyal ng gobyerno sa pamamagitan ng impeachment proceedings.

“All public officials are accountable to the people whether one is a elected official or an appointed official. The often quoted principle stating that “sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them” cannot and should not be taken lightly. Our Constitution provides a process for holding high officials accountable to people and it is called IMPEACHMENT,” ang pahayag ng FLAG Maharlika official.

Partikular na tinukoy ni Cordevilla ang makailang ulit na paglabag sa Saligang Batas ni Leonen sa kabiguan umano ng huli na madesisyunan ang hawak nitong 37 na mga kaso sa loob ng 24 buwan.

“The New Code of Judicial Conduct provides that a judge shall uphold and promote independence, integrity and impartiality of the Judiciary. However, Associate Justice Leonen has violated, breached and simply ignored all these basic tenets,” giit ni Cordevilla.

“Respondent’s track record of gross inefficiency as shown by the snail pace in which he resolves his cases casts doubts on his competency. No other sitting Justice has ever displayed the same inefficiency and incompetence,” ang nakasaad naman sa reklamo nito.

Base umano mismo sa pahayag ni Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., mahigit sa 30 electoral protests ang nakabinbin sa House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) ng halos isang taon matapos ang pagkakatalaga roon ni Leonen noong Oktubre 2019.

“Since the resolution of election controversies are a vital factor in our democracy, it is incumbent upon the Chairperson to ensure that pending election cases before the HRET are timely resolved since clearly, these cases are imbued with public interest and are time sensitive,” mariing sabi ni Cordevilla.

“By failing to act on the cases pending before him both in the Supreme Court and the HRET, respondent has clearly betrayed public trust. His incompetence and inefficiency, has caused the erosion of the public’s faith in our judicial system,” dagdag pa niya.

“Justice Leonen is incompetent because he sat on dozens of cases in contravention of the Constitutional mandate,” ayon  pa rito.

‘BETRAYAL OF PUBLIC TRUST’

Sa aspeto ng tinatawag na ‘betrayal of public trust’, tinukoy ni Cordevilla na nagawa ito ni Leonen nang mabigong makapag-sumite ng Statement of Assets, Liabilites and Net Worth (SALN) ang huli.

Aniya, sa loob ng 22 taon ng SC associate justice sa  University of the Philippines (UP), na mula taong 1989 hanggang 2011, ito’y mayroon lamang SALN para sa mga taon ng 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, at 2011.

Nangangahulugan ito na mula taong 1989 hanggang  2003,  at taong hanggang 2009,  na kabuuang 15 taon ay umano’y binalewala ni Leonen ang batas na nag-aatas sa lahat ng government officials na magsumite ng taunang SALN.

“Since respondent failed to file his SALN for 15 years, it would be difficult for the investigating authorities to pin him down in the event that a corruption case is filed against him,” sabi sa  complaint.

“He clearly lacks integrity because he failed to file his SALN,” ayon pa kay Cordevilla.

Bukod dito, kinastigo ng FLAG Maharlika secretary general ang paghingi ni Leonen sa High Tribinal ng P4.9 milyon para sa renovation ng assigned cottage nito sa Supreme Court compound sa Baguio City.

Hulyo 17 ng taong kasalukuyan at kasagsagan ng COVID 19 pandemic nang magbigay aniya ng request letter ang tanggapan ni Leonen para papondohan ang ilang pag-aayos sa nakatalaga sa kanyang cottage, na kinabibilangan ng basement extension, lanai, viewing deck, function room, garden, landscaping, na itinuring ni Cordevilla na amenities para sa isang first class villa.

“It is shocking and appalling that respondent would even think of renovating a cottage in July 2020 — at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is equally disgraceful that he would ask the Court to cough up P5 million for the renovation of a summer cottage — when millions of Filipinos are starving because of the pandemic,” sabi niya.

“Because of this lapses he must be held accountable for his actions for the betterment of the Judiciary and Future Good of our Country,” pagbibigay-diin ni Cordevilla.

Samantala, sinabi naman ni Leonen na inaasahan na niya na hindi papansinin ng kinauukulan ang reklamong ito dahil mas marami pang mahahalagang isyu ang dapat  na unahin.

Naniniwala si Leonen na isang resbak lamang   ang paghahain ng impeachment laban sa kanya, ngunit wala itong  tinukoy kung  sino o anong grupo ang nasa likod nito.

Wala pang komento o sagot sa complaint  si Leonen dahil hindi pa nito natatanggap ang kopya ng reklamo. ROMER BUTUYAN