Palace not keen on quick transmittal of Del Castillo’s impeachment to Senate

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang indicated, on Tuesday, its lack of interest in seeing the impeachment complaint against Associate Justice Mariano Del Castillo immediately endorsed to the Senate before the end of the trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, saying that could be too much of a burden on all parties involved.

Secretary Edwin Lacierda, President Aquino’s spokesperson, said the administration has been and would continue to be focused on the impeachment trial of the Chief Justice.

“It will be a burden if two impeachment cases will be filed before the Senate. But, again, it would be up to the House, to the plenary to decide when hopefully,” Lacierda said in the day’s news briefing in Malacañang.

“This is an action from the House so we cannot determine how soon or how late they will decide on the fate of Justice Del Castillo,” he added.

When asked whether Del Castillo’s impeachment has not been considered part of the Aquino administration’s program to reform the judiciary, Lacierda said, “The case of Justice del Castillo referred to a plagiarism case.”

“The President would largely refer to the Chief Justice Corona as the epitome of what is wrong with the judiciary and so that’s why the focus is on the Corona impeachment trial,” Lacierda said.

When asked about President Aquino’s thoughts on Del Castillo’s impeachment, Lacierda said he has not discussed Del Castillo’s case with President Aquino.

“Well, we have not discussed that. Let me ask the President on that, his thoughts on the matter,” Lacierda said when pressed if he would ask his allies in the House to go slow on Del Castillo’s impeachment.

President Aquino is perceived to be instrumental in the quick impeachment of Corona by 188 House members that signed the complaints against him on Dec. 12.