Leonen harboring quimbo quo warranto
THE electoral protest against Marikina City Representative Stella Luz Quimbo appears to be one of the “big” issues that could cast a cloud of doubt on Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen’s credibility since the lawmaker is a member of Liberal Party (LP).
The high importance of Quimbo’s case is parallel with the electoral protest of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. against Vice – President Maria Leonor Robredo since the latter was LP’s vice – presidential candidate last 2016 elections.
Robredo is the present chairperson of LP after she became the country’s vice – president.
Marcos filed his case at the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) on June 29,2016.
Leonen is the ponente of Marcos electoral complaint since October 2019.
Leonen was appointed by then President Benigno Cojuangco Aquino III at the high bench on November 29,2012.
Leonen first served for less than two years as Aquino administration’s chief peace talk negotiator with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) before his appointment as Supreme Court magistrate.
Former ABS party-list Rep. Eugene de Vera filed a quo warranto case before the HRET against Quimbo because the latter ran for congresswoman in the 2019 polls after she resigned as commissioner of the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC).
De Vera strongly believed that his case should not take six months, more so one year, for the HRET to decide.
Leonen was elected by the Supreme Court en banc to head the HRET last October 2019.
Since then, Leonen has not make a move for the HRET to act and end the complaint against Quimbo and the 33 other electoral protests until this time.
October next year, which is Leonen’s second year as HRET head, is the start of the filing of certificates of candidacies (COCs) for 2022 national and local elections.
Edwin Cordevilla, secretary – general of the Filipino League of Advocates for Good Governance – Maharlika (FLAG – Maharlika), stressed on his impeachment charges filed at the lower chamber last November 7 that Leonen’s 34 pending electoral protest at the HRET has “hardly moved an inch”.
“The remaining pending cases of respondent (Leonen) involves a member of the Liberal Party, which, as we all know, is the political party of former president Aquino….”, Cordevilla averred in the impeachment complaint.
The FLAG – Maharlika’s top official other basis of Leonen’s supposed violation of the 1987 Constitution were the 82 cases that have been staying at Leonen’s office.
One of the cases was raffled off to Leonen on January 13,2013 (Julie Parcon Song versus Lilia Parson)”.
Cordevilla said Leonen committed a “culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust”.
