CHIEF Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Thursday rejected the allegations in the impeachment complaint filed against her in the House of Representatives, saying she was a prudent public servant who had a clear conscience and who lived a modest life.
She made the denial when she faced reporters in her annual meet-the-press event held in Cebu City, and for the first time since several groups sought her impeachment.
“I have always lived a life of modesty. I have been prudent in the use of the Court’s resources,” Sereno told reporters.
“All the expenses for judicial reforms, my travels, my security and vehicle requirements are all regular and aboveboard.”
Sereno said the public documents released by the high court to the impeachment complainants would vindicate her.
The complainants had cited her alleged undisclosed assets in her Statement of Asset, Liabilities and Net Worth and extravagant spending of judicial funds, including her purchase of a P5-million Toyota Land Cruiser and her first-class travels aboard airplanes.
In a decision on Aug. 8, the high court granted the request of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution Inc., the complainants in the first complaint against Sereno in the House of Representatives, for several documents that allegedly would support their claims against the chief justice.
Among the records ordered released to the VACC and VPCI were the high court’s revocation of Sereno’s order in 2012 to reopen a regional constitutional administrative office in Cebu without the high court’s approval.
The high court also granted the release of Sereno’s memorandum appointing lawyer Solomon Lumba as her staff head and the subsequent letter of Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio withdrawing his signature in that appointment over an internal issue.
In another ruling on Aug. 15, the high court granted the release of additional documents against Sereno as requested by lawyer Larry Gadon, who is set to file a second impeachment complaint against her.
Among these were Sereno’s SALNs since she was appointed to the high court in 2010 and the documents pertaining to the purchase of Sereno’s luxury service vehicle and to her travels.
“The record will speak for itself and I have not objected in the public release of the same,” said Sereno who inhibited herself from the Court’s deliberations on the requests.
Sereno said she was unfazed by the impeachment charges against her and that she continued to work to improve the judiciary.
“That’s the beauty of having a clear conscience; it does not affect me at all… If I take an inordinate amount of time looking at it and being exasperated by those documents, work will not be done,” Sereno said.
She said she was giving the allegations against her the “right attention” so she could prepare when the time came for her to answer them.
“But I shouldn’t be fazed because I have done nothing wrong. Nothing can be proven against me that will show that the chief justice has betrayed her oath of office,” Sereno said.
“I have served the country with all faith and diligence. I will never waver from that pledge.”