House panel declassifies Sereno's psych records, confidential documents
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives Justice panel decided to make public the documents and discussions on its previous closed-door session on psychological records of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
The panel was set to vote on whether Larry Gadon's complaint has probable cause to impeach Sereno. The members decided with a 38-2 vote in favor of elevating the complaint to the chamber's plenary.
Before the conclusive vote, Rep. Juan Pablo Bondoc (Pampanga) moved to "declassify" the documents and testimonies during the executive session of the lower house. The psychologists invited as resource speakers in the hearing requested for a private audience, citing patient-doctor confidentiality.
Two representatives, meanwhile, objected to Bondoc's motion.
Disagreements
Rep. Kaka Bag-ao (Dinagat Island) objected, noting that it is not proper to bare a person's psychological record.
Last week, the Psychological Association of the Philippines said that statements that Sereno failed the psychological evaluation prior to her appointment as misleading. "No one 'passes' or 'fails' a psychological assessment," it said.
Rep. Kit Belmonte (Quezon City), at Thursday's justice panel hearing, raised that what was talked about after the executive session and hearing after was discussed by the panel. "They were entered into the records. Points raised were already raised by the chairman," Belmonte added.
But Bondoc argued that declassifying or making public the records of the executive session will give Sereno a chance to dispute what was discussed.
Belmonte countered that the panel already thoroughly discussed the issue.
Rep. Reynaldo Umali (Oriental Mindoro), who sits as panel chair, interjected and said that the motion was to declassify the documents, and not summon more resource persons.
Should they need to draft articles of impeachment, Umali said they would need to divulge in public the executive session's records. He stressed that the records may be used as evidence if and when the impeachment reaches the Senate.
After Umali's clarification, Bag-ao and Belmonte took back their earlier objection.
The panel then moved to declassify the documents.
The camp of Sereno has insisted that the results of the psychological exam is immaterial in the impeachment proceedings as in its not a ground to oust her.
The Judicial and Bar Council concurred with the psychologists' group that there is no pass or fail in the test.
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