Sereno: Truth is on my side
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno has expressed confidence that she would hurdle the impeachment complaint filed against her with a declaration that “the truth is on my side.”
Before the association of trial court judges in Palo, Leyte the other day, Sereno said: “I know I did not lie, I did not cheat, I did not exploit anyone and I am doing my duty as chief justice. I have enough faith in the truth to sleep soundly at night.”
She told the members of the Philippine Trial Judges League that “I did not come here to, as some would advise, rally the troops and ask you to wear armbands or hold placards for me.”
“I know that, ultimately, such political maneuverings can only erode our branch of government in the long-term, however gratifying it may be at the moment. I have no interest in feeding my ego,” she said in her speech.
In expressing her confidence against the impeachment complaint against her, Sereno said: “I am like this because I know that the truth is on my side. And in a time of constant spin, when narratives are coopted to serve the personal agenda of a few, the truth is our bedrock.”
The members of the committee on justice of the House of Representatives, voting 25-2, had found the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon sufficient in form and substance.
The committee is set to conduct hearings to determine probable cause. Once it is determined, all members of the House of Representatives would cast their votes and one-third of the total membership would be enough to send the impeachment complaint to the Senate for trial.
Among other alleged impeachable charges, Sereno was accused of not declaring her earnings as a private lawyer before her appointment to the Supreme Court.
She was also charged with culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust.
Instead of rallying the trial court judges to support her against her impeachment, Sereno rallied them to “work hard, work with integrity, be honest in all your dealings, and defend the Constitution as we all swore to do.”
“Remain steadfast in the conduct of your duties; zone out of politics, and decide on your cases with openness, sobriety, and fairness,” she added.