Faces of the news
Midas Marquez
If impeachment complainant Lorenzo Gadon is to be believed, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno not only tampered with Supreme Court rulings, but she also manipulated the judiciary’s administrative setup. He even got the House of Representatives’ justice committee to invite Court Administrator Midas Marquez to speak about an office that would have been under his supervision were it not for Sereno’s alleged interference. Sereno created a more permanent court office called Judiciary Decentralized Office (JDO). Marquez, a former chief of staff of Chief Justice Reynato Puno, confirmed that he was “never involved” in the organization of Sereno’s JDO. But he declined to comment on what he thought of Sereno divesting him of supervision over JDO, saying that “as Court Administrator, I take instructions only from the Chief Justice or the Court en banc.”
Noel Tijam
Supreme Court Associate Justice Noel Tijam, President Duterte’s second appointee to the country’s highest tribunal, has expressed willingness to take the witness stand in the impeachment proceedings of the House justice committee against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. Tijam, who had voted in favor of Mr. Duterte’s martial law proclamation in Mindanao and the indictment for drug trade of opposition Sen. Leila de Lima, is set to testify on Sereno’s supposed arbitrariness in deciding on the government’s request to transfer the trial of arrested Maute terror group members outside of Mindanao. It remains to be seen how his close relationship with the President, his classmate at San Beda College of Law, would affect his testimony against the Chief Justice, who had earned Mr. Duterte’s ire for standing firm on the high court’s authority to discipline suspected “narcojudges.”
Teresita de Castro
Touted as the “most explosive witness” by the chair of the House impeachment panel, Supreme Court Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro made history by being the first sitting magistrate to testify in a House inquiry on Wednesday, according to House leaders. De Castro spoke about alleged transgressions committed by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, including “undermining” the authority of the court by issuing orders to revive a judicial office in Central Visayas in 2012, contrary to the consensus reached by the justices in full-court deliberations. She also described how Sereno altered De Castro’s draft of a temporary restraining order against a senior citizens party-list. De Castro’s testimony was seen to give weight to allegations by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon of the Chief Justice’s questionable actions without full-court authority. She declined, however, to say whether the alleged transgressions were impeachable.
Prince Harry
Many around the world were giddy with excitement when news broke that he and his American actress girlfriend, Meghan Markle, are getting married in May next year. The 33-year-old prince and Markle, 36, best known for her role as a lawyer in the hit TV show “Suits,” became engaged in November, more than a year after they met. Harry, son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, spent 10 years in the British Army, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan and, at times, stirred controversy for his partying. “This is a time of huge celebration for two people in love,” British Prime Minister Theresa May wrote on her official Twitter page. As the excitement heats up, some were speculating what would be Markle’s title when she marries him. She will become Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales.
Ricci Rivero
After picking up his fourth foul early, La Salle star Ricci Rivero turned into an emotional mess. The 19-year-old cried openly at the sidelines as the Green Archers couldn’t do anything right at the start of their must-win match against the Ateneo Blue Eagles. But Rivero’s older brother and teammate, Prince, straightened him up. He told the sophomore wingman to let it all out, then get his mind back in La Salle’s bid for survival in Game 2 of the UAAP Finals. By the second half, that’s just what Rivero did as he sparked a third-quarter run to help La Salle come back from a 21-point deficit and stun Ateneo, 92-83. Rivero turned a poor start into a fine performance of 18 points, five rebounds and four assists, much like how the Archers picked themselves up to force a do-or-die Game 3 against their rival.
