No subpoena for SC Justice Sereno, says Sen. Estrada

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada reiterated Tuesday that they would not issue a subpoena for Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

“We are not inclined to subpoena Justice Sereno, in fact, what we recommended is for the prosecution to invite her personally and we will accept her as a witness,” he told reporters hours before the resumption of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Estrada said that it would be preferable if she would volunteer to testify before the impeachment court to shed light on the testimony of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. “If she does [testify], it might just strengthen the case of the prosecution,” he added.

De Lima’s testimony was largely based on Sereno’s dissenting opinion on the Supreme Court decision to issue a temporary restraining order on the travel restrictions imposed by the Department of Justice on former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband, former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

The impeachment court has deemed De Lima’s testimony as hearsay, saying she was not present during the high court deliberations.

But Estrada said they understood that Sereno had to ask for permission from the Supreme Court en banc before she could appear before the impeachment court because of the February 14 resolution of the high tribunal barring its justices and workers from testifying.