Sereno camp cites another ‘lie’ in Gadon’s testimony

MANILA, Philippines — The camp of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said there was another lie or perjury in the testimony of lawyer Lorenzo Gadon in the latter’s impeachment complaint against the chief magistrate.

In a statement issued yesterday, Sereno’s spokesman and lawyer Jojo Lacanilao said a testimony by Supreme Court Clerk of Court Felipa Anama belied Gadon’s claim that Associate Justice Noel Tijam was the one in charge of handling the request of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II for the transfer of cases against the Mautes to Taguig City from Mindanao.

In her testimony before the House committee on justice hearing the impeachment complaint, Anama said the administrative case was not raffled off to Tijam.

“The Chief Justice is the member-in-charge for this administrative matter. The Chief Justice did not and could not have ‘caused the matter to be raffled to her.’ The Chief Justice is not the head, and is not even a member, of the Raffle Committee. She has no participation at all in the raffle of cases,” Lacanilao said.

Earlier, the House committee on justice said Gadon could be held liable for perjury after Associate Justice Teresita de Castro denied being his source of information in his impeachment complaint.

Lacanilao also belied the allegation that Sereno was acting on the case by herself without the collegial approval of the high court.

“As the letter of the Secretary of Justice was personally addressed to her and considering the urgency of the matter, she discussed the matter with the (full Court) even prior to the matter being raffled. Since the Supreme Court acted on the request, the raffle committee assigned the administrative matter to the Chief Justice consistent with the standard practice of the Clerk of Court,” he pointed out.

“The administrative matter was part of the raffle proceedings and although it was assigned to the Chief Justice, the assignment was confirmed by the members of the Raffle Committee composed of three justices of the Supreme Court,” he added.

As the justice committee resumed its impeachment hearing yesterday, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez served notice to Sereno that her defense would be for naught if she does not make it under oath before his panel.

“That will be a big problem because based on rules her denials will be treated as mere scrap of paper if not made under oath here and if she’s not subjected to cross examination,” Alvarez told newsmen.

The Davao del Norte congressman was referring to the documents submitted by Sereno’s lawyers to the justice committee headed by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali.

Sereno has repeatedly turned down invitations for her to attend the committee’s impeachment hearings, saying she is allowed under the law to be represented by her lawyers.

The committee has allowed her lawyers to attend but not participate in the hearings.  

In yesterday’s hearing, SC’s Anama repeatedly invoked confidentiality in the choice of the member-in-charge of Aguirre’s request but later admitted – after questioning from Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta – that the case was not raffled off to the justices.

Umali, Reps. Henry Oaminal of Misamis Occidental and Vicente Veloso of Leyte pointed out the issue was already “academic” since the transfer request was already acted upon 52 days later.  

Umali told Anama there was no more need to invoke confidentiality as Sereno herself, in the documents she submitted to the panel, had admitted assuming responsibility over the case.

“If the case has already been resolved, then there’s no point discussing the raffle,” said committee vice chairman and former Court of Appeals Justice Vicente Veloso.  

Meanwhile, various media organizations have condemned the death threat received by Manila Times reporter Jomar Canlas, who had testified in the House impeachment proceedings.

In separate statements, the Justice and Courts Reporters Association (JUCRA), Justice Reporters Organization (JUROR) and the National Press Club (NPC) rallied behind Canlas to protest what they called harassment.

JUCRA described the threats against Canlas as an “act of cowardice and attack on our constitutionally enshrined freedom of the press.”

“We must never allow intimidation and harassment of journalists as we stand pat on our duty as a watchdog of democracy. We call on authorities to investigate the matter and run after the person/persons responsible for this dastardly criminal act,” the group said in a statement. The camp of Sereno joined JUCRA’s call for an investigation.

“The Chief Justice joins the call for concerned authorities to investigate the act of intimidation against Mr. Jomar Canlas and ensure that he and other journalists are protected and are able to work without fear of reprisal,” they said in a statement.

NPC president Paul Gutierrez, for his part, said the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) has assured the NPC that it is on top of Canlas’ case.

“With the PTFOMS immediately taking over the case of Canlas as assured to me by Usec. Joel Sy Egco, it raised our optimism that no further harm can come to him and that those behind this cowardly act shall soon be unmasked,” Gutierrez said.