Voting 25-2, the Philippines’ House justice committee declared today that the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has sufficient grounds to proceed.
The complaint, filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, stems from several accusations including Sereno’s alleged non-disclosure of the fees in her 2010 Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
According to Rappler, Gadon accused Sereno of not disclosing all her income from when she was a government lawyer in its case against Philippine International Air Terminals Co. Inc. (Piatco).
Gadon said she earned PHP37 million (US$740,000), but Sereno’s spokespersons said it amounted to only PHP30 million (US$600,000).
Sereno’s spokesperson, lawyer Jojo Lacanilao, told Rappler in a text message that a bank waiver is not necessary because Gadon never alleged that the chief justice acquired ill-gotten wealth.
Last Saturday, Duterte called out Sereno and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales for allegedly playing politics in the Supreme Court and practicing “selective justice” by accommodating a complaint by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Duterte’s alleged ill-gotten wealth.
“I now challenge (Ombudsman Conchita) Carpio to resign with Supreme Court Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.Let’s do it now!” Duterte was quoted in the Inquirer.
The lawmakers will now proceed to the determination of probable cause of the impeachment complaint.
with reports from ABS-CBN News
