NAGBIGAY ng mahigpit na paalala ang chairperson ng House committee on justice nitong Sabado na ang mga reklamong impeachment na inihain ng mga pribadong indibidwal ay hindi uusad sa Kamara maliban na lamang kung may pormal na mag-eendorso na miyembro ng House of Representatives.

Ito’y isang rekisito na maaaring magtakda kung ang iba pang reklamo laban kay Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. ay makakarating sa Office of the Speaker.

“Just like any other bill, it must be sponsored by at least a member of the House. In other words, if this is filed by a private individual at walang mag-sponsor ng one, two or more (House member), it will not be transmitted to the Office of the Speaker,” pahayag ni Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, chair ng House committee on justice, sa Saturday Media Forum sa Dapo Restaurant sa Quezon City.

Nilinaw ni Luistro ang mekanismo ng paghahain ng impeachment sa gitna ng muling pag-usbong ng interes ng publiko sa proseso, dahil sa paglitaw ng multiple complaints sa balita na nagdulot ng tanong kung alin ang itinuturing na maayos na naihain at ano ang susunod na hakbang sa proseso ng Kamara.

“It is not my intention really to preempt the discussion of the sufficiency in form. First and foremost, wala pa po tayong official copy of any of those impeachment complaints. But I can speak on the rules that by form, dapat supported ’yan by a House member, dapat signed ng private individual at dapat verified by an authorized officer,” paliwanag ni Luistro.

Ipinakita ng chairperson ang tinatawag niyang pangunahing balangkas ng impeachment sa Kamara, at iginiit na bagaman ito ay extraordinary constitutional power, ito ay pinamamahalaan pa rin ng malinaw na proseso na dapat maunawaan ng publiko.

“Siguro let’s start with the process. I want to walk-through everyone about the process para maintindihan ng ating mga kapuwa Pilipino ang proseso ng impeachment because this is one of the extraordinary powers given to the sovereign people. Let me begin with, there are two modes in filing an impeachment complaint. The first mode is by a private individual sponsored by a House member or by the House member himself,” sinabi ni Luistro.

“This is the type or mode of filing that was used in as far as the first impeachment complaint against the President is concerned. With regards to the second mode of filing an impeachment complaint, ito po ’yung by signature and verification of at least one-third of all the members of the House. You will remember the first impeachment complaint against the Vice President. Ito pong second mode ang ginamit do’n sa first impeachment complaint against the Vice President,” saad niya.

Binigyang-diin ni Luistro na magkaiba ang daloy ng dalawang paraan: ang una ay nangangailangan ng mandatory referral sa House committee on justice, samantalang ang pangalawa ay direktang ruta na hindi dumadaan sa komite, gaya ng pinagtibay ng Korte Suprema.

“If the impeachment complaint will be filed under the first mode, ito po mandatory ang referral sa Committee on justice. But if we will be asking how about the second mode, ito pong second mode, the one supported by at least one-third for the understanding of our fellow countrymen. In layman’s term, para po itong express lane. Hindi requirement ang referral to the justice committee,” sinabi ni Luistro.

Idinagdag ni Luistro na ang unang hakbang para sa anumang reklamo ay ang Tanggapan ng House Secretary General, na tumatanggap ng reklamo at ipinapasa ito sa Speaker, bago magsimula ang timetable para sa aksyon ng plenaryo.

“Umpisahan po natin sa office ni Sec. Gen. Ang office po ng Secretary General ang tumatanggap ng impeachment complaint. From there, she has to transmit the same immediately to the Office of the Speaker. As to the meaning of immediately, I would say it depends on how the office of the Sec. Gen. would appreciate and discharge her function as such,” ayon kay Luistro.

“After the same is transmitted to the Office of the Speaker, the Speaker has a period of 10 session days to include the impeachment complaint in the order of business of the plenary,” dagdag niya.

Pagkatapos ng hakbang ng Speaker para ilagay sa calendar ang complaint, ang plenaryo ay may sariling timetable ng session days para i-refer ang reklamo sa justice committee, na magsisimula ng pormal na pagsusuri na may malinaw na hakbang, pleadings at pagdinig.

“From the plenary naman, they have a period of three session days to transmit the same or refer to the justice committee. As to how they are going to exercise the same, it is the judgment of the plenary which is represented by all the members of the House of Representatives,” ani Luistro.

Kapag ang complaint ay nasa justice panel na, ang committee process ay structured at sequential, na magsisimula kung ang complaint ba ay “sufficient in form,” at pagkatapos ay kung ito’y “sufficient in substance,” bago magkaroon ng hearings at “determination of probable cause,” ani Luistro.

“So, doon naman po pagdating sa justice committee, the committee that we are chairing, I summarize the process into five steps. First step, determination of sufficiency in form. Second step, determination of sufficiency in substance. Third step, if the impeachment complaint is sufficient both in form and substance, we need to determine if there is sufficient basis of impeachment complaint,” saad ni Luistro.

“Now, moving forward, pagdating po ng fourth step, we will be holding the hearing proper. Dito po sa hearing proper, we will begin to invite the complainant, the witnesses and even the respondent,” paliwanag pa niya.

Sinabi ni Luistro na ang ikalima at huling committee step ay ang desisyon ng justice panel kung may probable cause para sa pagsulong ng complaint.

Pagkatapos nito, maglalabas ang komite ng report para sa plenaryo na pagbobotohan naman kung aaprubahan ito.

“For the last step, that is the fifth step, the justice committee has to determine whether or not there is probable cause that supports the impeachment complaint. So that completes the process in the justice committee,” ani Luistro.

“Whatever is the decision of the justice committee, we need to submit a committee report to the plenary which will decide by one-third vote whether or not they will approve the committee report.

That explains the entire process of impeachment in as far as the House of Representatives is concerned,” sinabi ni Luistro.