Two House lawmakers on Tuesday moved that lawyer Lorenzo Gadon be cited in contempt for his “unsubstantiated” claims that an oligarch was planning to bribe senators with P200 million to acquit Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno should the impeachment case reaches the Senate.
During the House justice committee hearing on Sereno’s impeachment, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. and Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop hit Gadon for issuing statements that are yet to be verified.
“There are many statements and assertions coming from you, which really affect the integrity of this proceeding and casting aspersions on the would-be judges in the impeachment,” Garbin said.
Acop, on the other hand, supported Garbin’s proposal as Gadon’s statements “casts aspersion on our independence and the committee and the entire House.”
READ: Lacson: Gadon’s allegation on bribery is ‘pure hearsay’
But Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Salvador Belaro Jr. moved that Gadon be given five days to explain so as not to delay the proceedings. Committee chairman Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali duly seconded the motion.
Given a minute to air his side, Gadon said he could not be cited in contempt because even he would not believe that senators could be bribed.
“Meron akong information na nakukuha. Maraming tumatawag sa akin. Sinabi ko doon sa interview na ako din, hindi ako naniniwala kasi sabi ko hindi naman siguro papayag ang senators na masusuhulan kaya wala ho akong nakikitang contempt,” Gadon said.
(I have received information. A lot of people are calling. I have said in that interview that I myself do not believe and again as I have said senators would not allow themselves to be bribed so I see there is no contempt.)
Gadon, in his earlier interviews, said that he was “verifying information” that a still unnamed oligarch promised to bribe some senators to absolve Sereno in the impeachment case.
“Ang dinig ko babayaran daw nila ng P200 million ang bawat senador na boboto ng pagabswelto kay Sereno,” Gadon said.
(I heard they will pay P200 million to each senator who will vote to acquit Sereno.)
Sereno’s camp vehemently dismissed Gadon’s story as a lie while some senators called it as “pure hearsay” and challenged him to name his sources. /jpv
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