The impeachment complaint filed against Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro will be rendered moot should her retirement precede the termination of the case, a House official said on Thursday.
Oriental Mindoro Rep. Salvador Leachon, chairman of the House of Representatives’ committee on justice, made the statement as his panel was preparing to begin the impeachment proceedings against the seven justices of the Supreme Court, including De Castro who will retire in October.
“If that would happen, granting for the sake of argument that the retirement would precede the termination of this case against her, definitely it would be moot and academic. But as to the other cases, they would proceed,” he told a television interview.
The impeachment complaint filed against Justices De Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr. and Alexander Gesmundo last week was referred to the House justice committee last Tuesday.
The justice panel has 60 session days to dispose of the complaint.
Once the committee renders its findings on its sufficiency in form and substance, the House, in plenary session, has also 60 session days to affirm or reverse the ruling of the committee.
Leachon said his committee would finish the impeachment deliberations at the soonest possible time upon the order of Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
De Castro’s tenure will only last for at least 45 days as she will retire on Oct. 8, 2018.
Leachon maintained his committee would conduct a fair hearing on the impeachment case of the seven SC justices.
“I guarantee the complainants and the public that we’ll have an impartial proceeding. It is just that, as also instructed by the House Speaker, we have to expedite this proceeding but we have so many things to do in Congress,” he said.
