THE camp of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Friday whacked the admission by the complainant in the impeachment rap that some allegations therein were not impeachable offenses.
“At ang masama pa niyan ay may pag-amin mismo ‘yung complainant sa kanyang reply na ‘yung ilan sa kanyang mga alegasyon ay hindi naman impeachable offenses,” Sereno’s spokesperson Josa Deinla said in an interview, conducted in Filipino, on Unang Balita.
Some other allegations, she added, were covered by an internal administrative memo.
“[Some of the allegations were] leaked violation of confidentiality rules,” she said.
On Thursday, the House Committee on Justice found sufficiency of grounds in the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon against Sereno.
In his complaint, Gadon accused Sereno of culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption, other high crimes, and betrayal of public trust.
Gadon on Thursday welcomed the House decision, saying it showed that his case was strong.
Deinla said their camp was dismayed by the House decision because the allegations in question “weren’t discussed.”
Deinla also clarified that Sereno’s lawyers, not her, would cross-examine witnesses presented during her impeachment proceedings.
In late September, on the same day Sereno’s lawyers filed a reply to the impeachment complaint asserting the Chief Justice’s right to allow her lawyers to cross-examine witnesses, House Committee on Justice Chairman Reynaldo Umali said only Sereno, with respect to her constitutional right, was allowed to do that.
Meanwhile, Deinla declined to comment on President Rodrigo Duterte’s announcement of the creation of the Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday.
“[As a] spokesperson, I decline to comment on something that was passed by a co-equal branch of the government because the Chief Justice respects the authority of the executive…” Deinla said.
Deinla added the Chief Justice was not allowing herself to be the puppet of any individual or party.