Headline
Committee head hints Sereno’s case escalating to Senate
FILE: Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali (Photo: Atty. Reynaldo “RU” Umali/Facebook)
As the month-long impeachment hearing against Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno by the House of Representatives awaits its last session, its committee head hinted that the complaint may be escalated to the upper house.
Oriental Mindoro 2nd district Representative Reynaldo Umali, head of the House justice committee said that the 15th and last hearing on probable cause will be on February 27.
“Ganoon po ang nakikita ko kasi maraming na-establish kami during the hearing at marami nang nalinawan doon sa issues. At ngayon hindi na nila tinitingnan ‘yung issue being hearsay dahil walong Justice po ‘yong humarap na masasakit po ang sinabi patungkol po kay Chief Justice (That is what we are seeing because we have established a lot during the hearings and a lot of the lawmakers already found clarity with the issues. Now they are not looking at the issue as a hearsay because eight Justices have surfaced against the Chief Justice),” Umali said in an interview with DZBB on February 26.
The chief magistrate is facing an impeachment case in the lower chamber, as lawyer Lorenzo
“Larry” Gadon – the filer of the rap and President Rodrigo Duterte supporter – accused her of not declaring her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net worth (SALN) and by living an extravagant life.
However, Sereno, who was appointed by the Aquino administration refused to attend the House hearings and instead sent her lawyers.
According to Umali, this move has worked against Sereno’s camp.
“Wala pong controverting, walang kumontra sa mga ‘yon dahil hindi nga nag-participate si Chief Justice (There was no controverting, no one was contradicting to the evidence presented because the Chief Justice did not participate),” the Oriental Mindoro representative said.
Umali said that on March 6, the committee will vote if the complaint had a probable cause, and on March 13 the lower house is scheduled to vote on the committee report. He is hoping to escalate the case before Congress goes on its Holy Week break.
