Lorenzo Gadon wants House panel to subpoena Chief Justice Sereno

MANILA, Philippines — The lawyer seeking the ouster of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said yesterday he would ask the House committee on justice to issue a subpoena to compel her to attend the impeachment hearings or face detention for contempt.

Sereno’s camp described the threat as nothing but a “psywar” tactic by Lorenzo Gadon and his supposed principals due to a weak impeachment case.

Gadon advised Sereno to step down from office to avoid any inconvenience.

“If she doesn’t appear, I will also request that she be arrested,” Gadon said in a press conference in Quezon City.

“I want you to be happy and have a Merry Christmas. This early, knowing that several justices would testify to confirm the allegations in my complaint, wala nang kawala yan (you can’t get off). So if you want peace of mind, just resign so your Christmas will be happy,” he added.

Gadon said Sereno should address the allegations against her, especially on issues that only she could answer, such as the discrepancies on her Personal Data Sheet and the alleged missing copies of her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. 

Gadon expressed hope that he would be able to secure more than 200 votes when the impeachment case reaches the plenary vote.

‘Impeach accusers resorting to psywar’

Lawyer Winnie Salumbides, one of the spokespersons for Sereno, yesterday alleged that Gadon’s camp is employing a “propaganda war” to condition the mind of the public that the Chief Justice is guilty of the impeachment charges despite lack of evidence.

“Powerful forces with vested interest are resorting to a well-funded propaganda war. Despite their efforts, people have not been easily duped by Gadon’s allegations. In the multitude of stories, gossip and intrigues heaped against the Chief Justice, there is still no shred of evidence to support the impeachment complaint,” Salumbides said in a statement.

He cited reports that Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and five more justices of the Supreme Court (SC) are set to testify against Sereno when hearings resume next month.

“They constantly float new names and personalities of those who are supposed to testify against the Chief Justice. It is all part of a propaganda to make it appear that she is losing support among her colleagues in the high court. Their testimonies were personal and administrative matters that have been threshed out by the court,” Salumbides said.

The STAR earlier reported that Carpio and five other magistrates – Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Mariano del Castillo, Samuel Martires and Andres Reyes Jr. – have been invited by the House justice committee to appear in the hearings to answer various issues hurled against Sereno in the impeachment complaint filed by Gadon. 

Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Francis Jardeleza and Noel Tijam had testified along with retired Associate Justice Arturo Brion.

Salumbides said the reported appearance of the justices in the next hearing set for Jan. 18 is “part of a psywar campaign to condition the mind of the public.”

“One of the resource persons invited by the House justice committee has commended the handling of the impeachment complaint against Sereno.

“I have seen congressional hearings in the past and I am aware of how they are usually run. When the testimonies and the questions came, I was struck by the panel chairman’s deft handling of the proceedings,” retired SC justice Arturo Brion said. – Delon Porcalla