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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Sereno impeachment case to proceed

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THE House of Representatives’ committee on justice voted Thursday to proceed with the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Voting 25-2, the committee, headed by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, found sufficient grounds for the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Larry Gadon, setting the stage for the panel to find probable cause to deliberate on the ouster complaint against the chief magistrate.

“With 25 votes in favor and two against, the motion is carried and approved,” Umali said after the committee voted in favor of the motion filed by Occidental Mindoro Rep. Henry Oaminal.

“So the chair hereby declares there is sufficient ground to impeach [the Chief Justice]… and we will now move to the next stage, which is the determination of probable cause,” Umali said.

“In determining grounds, we take into consideration the pleadings filed [by both parties], if there are sufficient grounds to conduct further hearings,” Umali said.

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Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno

Gadon accuses Sereno of violations of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, corruption and other high crimes for her alleged litany of lapses”•including the alleged untruthful declaration of her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

The two lawmakers who voted against the motion were Reps. Arlene Bag-Ao of Dinagat Islands and Jose Christopher Belmonte of Quezon City, both identified with the Liberal Party of former President Benigno Aquino III, who had appointed Sereno.

Bag-ao said she was not convinced that the impeachment complaint filed against Sereno contained solid evidence to back up the allegations.

Belmonte held a similar view. 

Umali stressed that the committee will soon decide on the appeal of Sereno’s camp to allow them to cross-examine the witnesses. He maintained that only Sereno may be allowed to cross-examine her witnesses.

“This may be an interesting proceeding that may happen before this committee because, if we allow cross examination by either party, then this will enrich our proceedings,” Umali said.

“If we allow the lawyers [of Sereno to do the cross examination], how can we cross examine the lawyers? How can we ask clarificatory questions from (a lawyer) who is not a party himself or herself?” Umali asked.

This developed as the House justice panel voted on the committee report dismissing the impeachment complaint filed against Commission on Elections head Andres Bautista.

The House justice panel affirmed its earlier decision to declare the complaint filed by lawyers Ferdinand Topacio and Jacinto Paras who sought the ouster of Bautista over his alleged P1-billion ill-gotten wealth and alleged non-disclosure of his assets.

The committee report will then be referred to the plenary for voting.

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