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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Wednesday, February 28, 2018
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MANILA – Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has decided to take her scheduled “wellness leave” in advance to prepare for a possible impeachment trial.
Her lawyer Jojo Lacanilao said on Tuesday Sereno will take her March 12 to 23 scheduled leave from March 1 to 15.
“Meron siyang scheduled na wellness leave sa March. Talagang naka-schedule na iyan, matagal na,” Lacanilao said in an ambush interview. “In-advance niya lang para makapag-prepare sa impeachment trial.”
“May desisyon siya, personal niya, na i-advance iyong naka-schedule na leave a few weeks earlier,” Lacanilao stressed.
However, Reynaldo Umali, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Justice, belied this.
Sereno’s leave was “indefinite” in nature in light of pressure from fellow high court magistrates, Umali claimed.
“Kasinungalingan iyong sinasabi nilang wellness leave,” Umali told the press. “It is an indefinite leave by the chief justice because the (Supreme Court) en banc forced her into it.”
But Lacanilao pointed out that “it is not safe to call it an indefinite leave kasi meron naman iyang schedule.”
Meanwhile the House justice committee said the panel was set to vote next week on the existence of probable cause to impeach Sereno.
“Since it would all depend on the individual appreciation of the committee, I encourage everyone to be mindful of our timeline today so that we will be able to make an informed decision or judgment when we vote on the probable cause,” Umali said at the close of the House inquiry on Tuesday.
He added: “The hearings we’ve conducted have proven that there were alarming issues within the high court. This necessitates an evaluation of Sereno’s fitness to continue holding office as head of the third branch of the government, or the judiciary.”
After the panel voting, a committee report will be fielded in a plenary for all representatives to approve or reject.
If at least one-third of the voting House members decides to impeach the chief justice, the Articles of Impeachment would be transmitted to the Senate, which will convene as an impeachment court.
Lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon filed the impeachment complaint against Sereno, accusing her of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, corruption, and other high crimes./PN
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