House to fast-track Sereno impeachment once sessions resume

PNA photo

MANILA — House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, responding to President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s call to fast-track the impeachment of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, said it would be done once Congress resumes session in May.

“It will be done once we resume sessions,” Alvarez said in a text message on Monday.

Regular sessions will resume on May 14, 2018.

Earlier in the day, President Duterte called on Congress to speed up Sereno’s impeachment, as he vowed to make sure that the latter will be out of the Supreme Court.

“I’m putting you on notice that I’m your enemy and you have to be out of the Supreme Court,” Duterte said, warning that if it needs force removal of the chief magistrate, he would do it.

“I would ask Speaker Alvarez now, kindly fast-track the impeachment. She is bad for the Philippines,” Duterte said in a press interview at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport shortly before departing for the People’s Republic of China to attend the Boao Forum of Asia.

Last March 19, the House justice committee approved the six articles of impeachment against Sereno on the grounds of culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption, other high crimes, and betrayal of public trust.

The committee report along with the articles of impeachment has already been referred to the plenary for another round of approval.

Under the rules on impeachment, a vote of one-third, or at least 98 lawmakers, of the total number of House members is needed to send the impeachment complaint to the Senate.