4 SC justices set to appear at House impeach

Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo De Castro at the House of Representatives hearing on the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno. INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Four magistrates of the Supreme Court will appear at the House impeachment hearing on Monday to testify on what they know regarding the allegations facing Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, who attended the Nov. 29 hearing, is expected to make another appearance before the House impeachment panel.

She will be joined by Associate Justices Francis Jardeleza, Samuel Martires and Noel Tijam, as well as retired Associate Justice Arturo Brion, all of whom will be making their first appearance in the proceeding.

The justices had opted not to appear in previous hearings as they wished to wait until the Supreme Court had promulgated its earlier decision permitting them to testify in the hearings of the House justice committee.

Other invited guests on Monday are Supreme Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, Clerk of Court Felipa Anama, Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) Executive Officer Annaliza Ty-Capacite and JBC member Jose Mejia.

In the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, Sereno was accused, among others, of falsifying Supreme Court resolutions and a temporary restraining order, delaying action on petitions for retirement benefits, buying a luxury sport utility vehicle for her personal use and failing to truthfully declare her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth.