Carpio asks House for specific topics about Sereno impeach hearing

Antonio Carpio

The most senior justice of the Supreme Court has asked the House of Representatives to be specific on the matters that will be tackled in the next impeachment hearing against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

In a letter dated Dec. 12 which the House received on Wednesday, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio noted that the justices and officials who previously testified were informed of the issues where they would serve as resource persons.

But Carpio did not indicate if he will testify before the House Committee on Justice chaired by Representative Reynaldo Umali.

“In this regard, may the undersigned likewise be informed of what topics or matters will be asked during the committee hearings of each of the (court) officials and employees,” read a portion of Carpio’s letter. The senior magistrate wrote the letter in response to Umali’s Dec. 7 invitation.

Three incumbent Associate Justice have already testified before the House of Representatives, namely Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Noel Tijam and Francis Jardeleza. Also expected to testify is Associate Justice Mariano Del Castillo. The House of Representative also requested Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin and Samuel Martires to attend in the next hearing.

The justices testified that Sereno has been issuing orders without the consent of the entire court, an allegation which the Chief Justice vehemently denied.

Sereno’s lawyers also reiterated that the matters brought up by the three justices, including Jardeleza’s resentment over the chief magistrate’s attempt to block his designation as associate justice, were not grounds for impeachment as spelled out in the 1987 Constitution.