House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has expressed doubts that Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s possible move to seek Supreme Court’s (SC) intervention to block the impeachment case against her would lead to a constitutional crisis.
“Hindi po tayo aabot doon dahil alam ng mga majority ng SC (justices) ang nasa batas (We won’t reach that point because the majority of the SC justices know the law),” Alvarez told reporters on the sidelines of the conference on judicial institution building and reforms in Malate, Manila, Tuesday.
“Malinaw sa Constitution ang balance of power. Ang pag-check sa abuses of power ay ibinibigay sa Congress,” he added.
(The balance of power is clear in the Constitution. The checking of abuse of power is given to Congress.)
On Nov. 13, one of Sereno’s spokespersons, Carlo Cruz said they may opt to seek SC’s judicial intervention to block the impeachment case filed against her at the House of Representatives.
READ: Sereno may ask SC help in impeachment case
Meanwhile, Alvarez said the chief magistrate’s repeated request to be represented by her lawyers and for her counsel to cross-examine the witnesses during the impeachment proceedings could be granted if she showed up at the proceedings.
“Pwedeng pakinggan lawyers kung andon si CJ. ‘Yung abogado hindi naman sila yung subject ng impeach complaint,” he said.
(We can hear out the lawyers if CJ is there. The lawyers aren’t the subject of the impeachment complaint.)
“Kami naman papayagan namin na she will be assisted by her counsel pero dapat nandun siya,” he added.
(We will allow that she be assisted by her counsel but she needs to be there.)
Lawyer Lorenzo Gadon filed an impeachment complaint against Sereno for alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption and betrayal of public trust.
The House justice committee has deemed the complaint sufficient in form, substance and grounds, and it has scheduled a hearing on Wednesday to determine the case’s probable cause.
The panel invited the chief justice but she has yet to confirm her attendance. /je