[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Sereno impeach rap moves to next stage’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Friday, October 6, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=”]
MANILA – There are sufficient grounds to hear the impeachment complaint filed against Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, the House of Representatives justice committee said yesterday.
Voting 25-2, the committee ruled that the complaint will proceed to the determination of probable cause.
The panel, led by Rep. Reynaldo Umali (Oriental Mindoro) as chairman, said the complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon had sufficient ground requirements to head to the next stage.
“So the chair hereby declares the complaint has sufficient ground to impeach (Sereno) and we will now move to the next stage, which is the determination of probable cause,” Umali said.
During determination of probable cause, it will be noted if there is reasonable suspicion the respondent is guilty of the charges.
If probable cause is determined, the impeachment grounds will be sent to the plenary for approval.
At the plenary, a vote of one-third of the 293 representatives will send the articles of impeachment to the Senate, whose members will serve as judges in a public trial.
Rep. Arlene Bag-ao (Dinagat Island) tried to contest the motion of Rep. Henry Oaminal (Misamis Occidental) to vote on the sufficiency of the complaint, saying most of Gadon’s accusations do not merit impeachment.
Rep. Jose Christopher Belmonte (Quezon City) also raised questions on the impeachment, saying Gadon failed to establish his allegations, including one claiming Sereno falsified a temporary restraining order.
Both contentions were denied.
Meanwhile, the House justice committee has yet to act on the request to allow Sereno or her lawyers to cross-examine the complainant’s witnesses.
Her camp insisted that Sereno has the right to do so through her lawyers during the determination of probable cause.
“Hindi siya maaaring ipa-subpoena (ng House committee) dahil meron na siyang karapatan na magpadala ng kanyang mga kinatawan na abogado para harapin iyong mga paratang sa kanya dito sa impeachment,” said Sereno’s spokesperson, lawyer Josa Deinla./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
