A complaint accusing two senators of usurpation of authority is being drafted by a group of volunteer attorneys who object to a Senate proceeding they argue had no legal standing.
Public interest lawyer Atty. Dino de Leon confirmed he is leading the effort, working alongside fellow lawyers he refers to as the “angry lawyers.”
“I am in the process of crafting together with several volunteer lawyers, who we call our group angry lawyers,” he said.
The target of the planned action is Sen. Pia Cayetano, whom the group disputes as the rightful head of the Blue Ribbon Committee, along with Sen. Rodante Marcoleta. According to De Leon, the case rests on a single demand: that the Cayetano camp demonstrate majority backing in the chamber.
“Hindi ko na po ito ifafile Senator Pia kung kaya nyo i-produce ang 13 warm bodies sa plenaryo. Tatahimik na kami,” he said.
He framed the absence of that support as the core of the legal problem. “Pero hanggang hindi nyo napo-produce yung 13 warm bodies supporting Alan Peter Cayetano and declaring you as Chairperson of the Blue Ribbon Committee, eh usurpation of authority ka. You cannot pretend to be the chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee,” De Leon added.
The grievance traces back to last Thursday, when Marcoleta and Cayetano presided over a hearing even after Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian declared the session unofficial. De Leon described the gathering as a “fake Blue Ribbon Committee hearing” and said those responsible for staging it would face the complaints.
“They are pretending they have the authority of the Blue Ribbon Committee,” he said.
De Leon noted that the lawyers are leaning toward lodging the cases with both the Office of the Ombudsman and the Senate Ethics Committee, though the documents have yet to be finalized. He was candid about the workload involved in assembling them.
“Mga batang abugado na galit na sa pambababoy sa ating sistema, hindi ko kaya lahat ito mag-isa. Mahirap po mag draft ah, mahirap pagandahin ang pleading. May grupo kami who are crafting [complaints],” he said.
As of this writing, neither Cayetano nor Marcoleta has commented on the threatened legal action.
