Prof. Tony La Viña: "Slippery slope of diminishing judicial independence" Professor Tony La Viña writes about the  "Slippery slope of diminishing judicial independence" in connection with the impeachment hearings of Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno being conducted by the House Judicial Committee. The opinion piece was published on Rappler.com on Dec. 6, 2017. He specifically warns that internal disagreements within the Supreme Court should not be the subject of an impeachment complaint as this would erode the independence of the Judiciary at the hands of the political branches of government. "There is no walking back from that; future Chief Justices…

Prof. Tony La Viña: A case of Perjury In an online Opinion in the Rappler, Professor Tony La Viña weighs in on the infirmities of the impeachment complaint against the Chief Justice, during the first hearing of the House committee on justice on 22 November. He shows how Atty Gadon, chief complainant, is “clearly wrong about the facts and definitely committing perjury.” In past opinion columns Prof. La Viña has argued that none of allegations in the complaint rises to the level of impeachable acts. The complete article can be accessed at : https://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/189326-sereno-impeachment-larry-gadon-house-representatives  

Prof. Hilbay: Immunity from suit for Hontiveros' Senate speech (CNNPhilippines.com) "No Member shall be questioned nor be held liable in any other place for any speech or debate in the Congress or in any committee thereof." In an interview with CNN Philippines' The Source, on 11 Oct. 2017, Professor Florin Hilbay commented on the impropriety of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre’s filing of a complaint in an office under his own Department, against a sitting Senator of the Philippines. Referring to Aguirre’s wiretapping charge against Senator Riza Hontiveros, the former Solicitor General argued that the proper venue for such complaint was…