CONSTITUTIONAL INTERPRETATION
CONSTITUTIONAL INTERPRETATION
Case Digest: Francisco versus House of Representatives
G.R. Number one hundred sixty two thousand six hundred sixty-one (November ten, two thousand three)
G.R. Number one hundred sixty two thousand six hundred sixty-one (November ten, two thousand three)
Facts
November twenty-eight, two thousand one: The House of Representatives of the twelfth Congress adopted the "Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings," which provided that impeachment is only "deemed initiated" upon a finding of sufficiency in substance by the Committee on Justice or a House vote.
July twenty-two, two thousand two: The House adopted a resolution to investigate the disbursement of the Judiciary Development Fund.
June two, two thousand three: Former President Joseph Estrada filed the first impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Junior and seven Associate Justices.
August five, two thousand three: This first complaint was referred to the House Committee on Justice.
October thirteen, two thousand three: The Committee ruled the first complaint was "sufficient in form".
October twenty-two, two thousand three: The Committee voted to dismiss the first complaint for being "insufficient in substance".
October twenty-three, two thousand three: A second impeachment complaint was filed by Representatives Gilberto Teodoro, Junior and Felix William Fuentebella against Chief Justice Davide, specifically regarding the Judiciary Development Fund.
October twenty-eight, two thousand three: Various petitions were filed with the Supreme Court arguing the second complaint violated the constitutional one-year bar against multiple impeachment proceedings.