'Psy-war' just 'publicity stunt,' says Sereno spokesperson

MANILA, Philippines — The "psy-war" continues.

The camp of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Monday dismissed as a "publicity stunt" the plan of the House justice committee to divulge the results of the psychiatric evaluation conducted on her when she was still applying for the top Supreme Court post.

Lawyer Josa Deinla said that the plan to publicize the results of Sereno's mental evaluation, which she supposedly failed, was just meant to attract public attention and to "vilify" her in an effort to boost the "baseless impeachment complaint" filed against her by Lorenzo Gadon.

Deinla said that Sereno's detractors were bent to demolish her to the point that they were willing to use issues that would not warrant the chief magistrate's removal from office.

"This is nothing but a mere publicity stunt with the intention to humiliate, insult, malign, ridicule and discredit the Chief Justice before the public," Deinla said, adding that even Gadon himself admitted in various occasions that the results of the psychological test were not a basis for impeachment.

"Because they lack solid proof to support the fatally defective impeachment complaint filed by Atty. Gadon, they resort to publicity stunt and vicious vilification campaign," Sereno's spokesperson added.

READ: Umali: Sereno absence leaves impeachment complaint unrefuted

House Committee on Justice Chairperson Rep. Reynaldo Umali (Oriental Mindoro) said on Monday that the panel, which is trying to find probable cause in the complaint, would summon the psychiatrists who flunked Sereno in her psychological examination.

Umali alleged that the contracts of these psychiatrists were not renewed when Sereno assumed the chief justice post.

The two psychiatrists were hired by the Judicial and Bar Council, the constitutional body tasked to screen applicants in the judiciary, in 2012 to conduct mental examinations on candidates to the top office in the Supreme Court, including then Justice Sereno.

Gadon has alleged that Sereno got a grade of four out of five, rendering her "unfit" for the job. Deinla, however, stressed that Sereno's background and track record would debunk the allegation.

She said that Sereno would not be able to handle the stress and pressure of her job if she was unfit for the office of the chief justice.

“The Chief Justice has been in international and local conferences, presided so many en banc meetings, implemented various reforms, wrote so many opinions and decisions,” Deinla underscored.

“Thousands of people she had met could attest to her fitness to lead the Supreme Court and the entire judicial branch,” she said.

READ: Chief Justice Sereno tells House: File impeach case now

In Sereno's verified answer, Alex Poblador, one of her counsels, highlighted that there was nothing in the JBC rules that would render a candidate with a grade of four of five unfit for a judicial post.

Sereno said that the result of the examination was only for evaluation purposes, and even if she failed the test this was not enough a basis to impeach her.

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