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[av_heading heading=’House to trim impeach plaints vs Chief Justice ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” 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 – The House of Representatives justice committee will limit the number of allegations in the impeachment case to be filed against Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes before the Senate.
Today the justice committee resumes its hearing on the impeachment complaint filed by Atty. Lorenzo Gadon.
“We will evaluate each of the 27 allegations against the chief justice. I doubt if all the allegations could stand scrutiny,” committee chairman Reynaldo Umali (Mindoro Oriental) said yesterday.
In his complaint, Gadon said Sereno failed to disclose in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth the $745,000 (P37 million) “exorbitant lawyer’s fees” she received from the government.
Her falsification of a Supreme Court resolution and a restraining order on two pending cases is also a “culpable violation of the Constitution,” Gadon claimed.
The Senate will stand as an impeachment court.
An impeachment complaint must meet the grounds provided in the Constitution to stand in court while the complainant must have personal knowledge on and strong evidence for their allegations, Umali noted.
“We will include in the impeachment complaint to be filed at Senate only those cases supported by strong evidence,” the congressman said.
Gadon’s other accusations include:
* Sereno prevented Court of Appeals justices from calling on President Rodrigo Duterte, favoritism and usurpation of Supreme Court mandate.
* Sereno obstructed justice by preventing a lower court judge from issuing a warrant of arrest against Sen. Leila de Lima.
* Sereno committed “extravagant spending” for buying a Toyota Land Cruiser worth P5.1 million and shelling out “P3 million to P4 million” more for bulletproofing it, and traveling and taking business-class flights, and spending P150,000 a night in a presidential suite in Boracay after attending a meeting./PN
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