House justice panel finds sufficient grounds to proceed with Sereno impeachment

October 5, 2017

The House committee on justice, voting 25-2, on Thursday found sufficient grounds to proceed with hearing an impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, the panel chairman, said the committee will determine probable cause to impeach Sereno after a motion of Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry Oaminal was approved.

“With 25 votes in favor and two against, the motion is carried and approved,” Umali told the panel.

“There is sufficient ground to impeach… That the complaint alleges sufficient ground for  impeachment and we will now move to the next stage, which is the  determination of probable cause.”

“In determining grounds, we take into consideration the pleadings filed [by both parties], if there are sufficient grounds to conduct further hearings,” said Umali.

In his impeachment complaint, Larry Gadon listed 27 alleged acts where he accused Sereno, an appointee of former President Benigno Aquino III, of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, corruption, and other high crimes for her alleged litany of lapses including untruthful declaration of her wealth.

Umali said only Sereno may be given the chance to cross-examine the witnesses upon the approval of panel members, adding her lawyers are not allowed by the rules.

“This may be an interesting proceeding that may happen before this committee because, if we allow cross examination by either party, then this will enrich our proceedings,” said Umali on Sereno who refused to face Gadon in his panel.

“If we allow the lawyers (of Sereno), how can we cross examine the lawyers, how can we ask clarificatory questions from (a lawyer) who is not a party himself or herself?” Umali asked.

Josa Deinla, spokesperson for Sereno, insisted the chief justice’s lawyers have the right to cross-examine the witnesses, adding the impeachment complaint should be dismissed for being baseless and unfounded.

Gadon alleged in his complaint that Sereno bought a P5.1 million brand-new and high-end 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser with a reported P4 million bulletproofing job, failure to declare in her statement of statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) the “exorbitant lawyer’s fees” amounting to $745,000 or P37 million, expensive travel allowances, among others. DMS