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[av_heading heading=’ De Castro chides Sereno for ‘assigning self case’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – Supreme Court Associate Justice Teresita De Castro criticized Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for acting on a request to transfer the cases filed against the Maute terrorist group outside Mindanao by herself.
Department of Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II’s request should have been raffled, stressed De Castro.
“She (Sereno) should know that the chief justice can’t just take over a case without it being raffled,” De Castro told a House justice committee hearing on the impeachment complaint against Sereno on Monday.
Sereno “should’ve submitted that matter to the Raffle Committee so it can be included in the raffle of cases,” De Castro said. “There was ample time for her to do that. There’s nothing in the rules that’s allowing her to designate herself as member in charge.”
Aguirre made the request over apprehensions with justices handling the cases.
The request was not raffled off to any of the 15 magistrates of the Supreme Court. Sereno allegedly merely assigned the request to herself.
Meanwhile, Sereno’s camp said De Castro did not oppose the chief justice when the latter took over the case on June 19.
“Justice De Castro also countersigned the raffle sheet on the same date and did not pose any objection,” Sereno’s camp said in a statement. “Neither did the two other members of the Raffle Committee posed any objection.”/PN
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