More than 150 members of the University of the Philipines (UP) Law faculty have called on the House of Representatives to dismiss the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen which they tagged "baseless."
"We call on the members of the House of Representatives to do right by the people—dismiss the baseless impeachment complaint against Justice Leonen—and focus on the more important work at hand," the faculty members said in a statement updated on Tuesday.
At least 159 faculty members signed the solidarity statement as support to Leonen who served as dean of the UP College of Law from 2008 to 2011, adding that they "stand with his character, his integrity, and his principles."
"As teachers of the law and formators of future lawyers, we value the freedom to think and to form, hold, and express an opinion. We aspire for an independent, responsive, relevant, and principled judiciary that stands for, and serves the people," the signatories said.
"We look for intelligent, well-written, and well-reasoned decisions of the Supreme Court which affirm 'bright line' rules and balancing tests but also break new ground on the various nooks and crannies and nuances of the law," they added.
The law professors pointed out that the complaint made against Leonen does not state any ground for impeachment but he has been targeted as he dares to uphold the laws and procedures to safeguard the country's electoral processes against those seeking greater political power.
"Our former Dean is no stranger to the line of fire. He has stood in it for many years. He continues to do so now—honorably and excellently—in the face of an impeachment complaint that strains the limits of credulity and common sense," they stated.
"He is under fire because he remains a steady, sanguine, and intelligent voice against the increasingly unreasonable demands of despots-in-waiting and their cohorts," the faculty added.
The UP Law faculty member emphasized that Congress should now junk the impeachment complaints against Leonen and instead focus on more pressing issues, especially in this time of a global pandemic.
"We must not allow this latest assault to send our nation further down the dark road, especially while a global pandemic still hangs over all our heads and threatens to bring our society into despair and destitution," the faculty said.
"Overcoming the pandemic demands the undivided attention of the Executive and Legislative Branches, and the spectacle of political circuses should not distract the government from this far more important task," they added.
Leonen, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by then President Benigno Aquino III, is facing an impeachment complaint filed by Edwin Cordevilla, secretary-general of the Filipino League of Advocates For Good Government (FLAGG) before the House of Representative.
He was accused of arbitrarily delaying the resolution of cases pending before him as House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) chairperson, and betrayal of public trust for his failure to file his statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) during his tenure at UP as mandated by the law.
Cordevilla's complaint also stated that Leonen’s violations "negate the probity and integrity required of him as a member of the judiciary."