Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno
The camp of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno belied on Monday the statement of House justice committee chair that she was not participating in the probable cause hearings of the impeachment case against her.
In a statement, Sereno’s lawyers pointed out that the Chief Justice has been participating in the impeachment process by submitting her verified answer to complainant Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon’s arguments and a rejoinder to his reply to her answer.
“The rules do not even require her to answer, but she did,” the top magistrate’s camp said.
“She did not oppose the release of all documents requested by VACC (Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption) and Gadon from the SC (Supreme Court). She even informed the SC en banc that she does not object to the release,” they added.
Sereno’s lawyers also said she “accepted the invitation to attend the hearings through her counsel which is her constitutional right.”
“But the Committee has denied her right to counsel by denying them the right of cross examination despite Sec. 6 of their own rules on impeachment that allow for cross examination,” Sereno’s lawyers said.
Citing Associate Justice Noel Tijam’s statement, committee chair and Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali said Sereno should show up “to respect and participate in the impeachment (process), and to defend herself and protect the institution.”
“To this end, the Committee has a continuing invitation to the Chief Justice to attend and personally participate in the proceedings… Otherwise, the members will be constrained to consider only those matters presented to the Committee which will remain unrefuted and unrebutted,” he added.
Should the committee and the plenary vote to impeach Sereno, which her camp said “was publicly stated by the House Leadership,” she said she is “ready to defend herself in the Senate against the baseless claims and charges.”