Guevarra: Impeach raps vs 4 SC justices will not affect their CJ bid

One of the members of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) personally believed that the impeachment complaint filed against four Associate Justices of the Supreme Court will not affect their nomination to be the next Chief Justice.

JBC is constitutionally mandated to screen aspirants to enter the judiciary and top posts at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, an ex-officio member of the JBC, contradicted the claim of opposition Rep. Edcel Lagman that Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, and Andres Reyes Jr. should be disqualified by the council because of the impeachment complaint filed before the House of Representatives against them.

READ: 4 of 8 aspiring chief justices will be disqualified — lawmaker

“In my opinion, the mere filing of an impeachment complaint, which is not the same as a criminal or administrative complaint in the ordinary sense will not have any effect on the nominations of the four SC. justices for the CJ position,” Guevarra said on Thursday.

Aside from the four justices, also facing impeachment complaint are Supreme Court Associate Justices Francis Jardeleza, Alexander Gesmundo, and Noel Tijam.

On Friday, the JBC will deliberate to determine who will be included in the shortlist which will be submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte. /ee

READ: SC justices who ousted Sereno face impeachment complaints