SC allows justices, officials, employees to appear at House impeachment hearings vs Sereno

November 28, 2017

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed justices, its officials and employees to appear before the impeachment hearings by the House of Representatives against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

In its en banc session, the SC unanimously approved a resolution allowing this, said spokesperson Theodore Te.

Te said Sereno did not take part from the deliberations.

“Those who are invited to testify on administrative matters may do so if they wish. The Court is not requiring them but the Court is granting them clearance if they so wish to appear and testify on administrative matters,” Te told reporters.

“On adjudicative matters, meaning matters that go into the decision of cases, which would include deliberation of cases, only Justice Teresita De Castro has been authorized to appear and testify before the House committee on justice and only in relation to three matters,” Te added.

The House also invited to the impeachment hearings  Associate Justice Noel Tijam, former SC Justice Arturo Brion, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, Clerk of Court Felipa Anama, and chief judicial staff officer Charlotte Labayani. DMS