Sereno denies accusations in land dispute case

MANILA, Philippines — Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno yesterday denied the accusations of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) that she delayed resolving the case involving two parcels of land in San Fernando, Pampanga. 

Sereno issued a statement on a pending case involving the Philippine National Bank (PNB) over two parcels of land against spouses attorney Eligio and Marcelina Mallari.

Eligio, who was supported by the VACC, reportedly complained that since the case was filed on Feb. 8, 2013, the case has not moved. 

“Attorney Mallari claims that the case has been pending for 37 years. This is untrue. There have already been three decisions by the Supreme Court on these parcels of land, all of which are entitled ‘Spouses Mallari vs. PNB’: G.R. no. 61093, decided on May 25, 1988, G.R. no. 106615 on March 20, 2002 and reversed on January 15, 2004,” Sereno said. 

She also mentioned that in line with another case related to the parcels of land and new issues raised before the SC in 2013 (G.R. no. 204743), the case was initially raffled off to the First Division but later, as a result of the movement caused by retirements, it was transferred back and forth the First Division and Third Division, and back to the First Division in the latter part of 2017.

The case is now with the First Division, which is chaired by Sereno and where Associate Justice Teresita de Castro is the working chairperson. 

She said that there is insufficient basis to accuse the First Division of causing undue delay.

“Attorney Mallari should know very well that the Supreme Court is a collegial and deliberative body which adjudicates en banc or in division,” Sereno stressed. 

“We advise Atty. Mallari and the public to thoroughly verify the facts before coming to any conclusion regarding cases. After all, a precondition to justice is the truth,” she said.