Sereno lawyers may cross-examine witness if she shows up today – Alvarez
The House Committee on Justice will open today its hearing on an impeachment case against Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez assured that her lawyers will be allowed to cross- examine witnesses if she will appear in the hearing.
The defense lawyers informed the House committee that the chief justice has “chosen to attend the 22 November 2017 hearing through her legal counsel.”
Interviewed on television by Winnie Monsod and Rea Santos, Speaker Alvarez said Sereno’s right to counsel and cross-examination will be respected so long as she personally appears at today’s proceedings.
“Ang stand ng House ay pumunta po si CJ Sereno doon. Ngayon, kung ayaw niyang magsalita, papayagan namin ang mga abogado niya magsalita (The stand of the House is for CJ Sereno to appear. If she does not want to speak, we will allow her lawyers to talk),” Alvarez said.
The speaker also stated that he will reject calls for him to recuse himself for his alleged involvement in the Piatco case, in which Sereno was involved as a lawyer. She allegedly failed to report her fees from the case in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Networth.
The speaker pointed out that all cases filed against him in connection with the airport construction deal have been dismissed.
The House Committee on Justice, which is headed by Rep. Reynaldo Umali of Mindoro Oriental, invited Sereno to personally defend herself as the panel starts to discuss the evidence and questions witnesses against her.
In a letter addressed to the committee, Sereno’s lawyers said they have been authorized to represent her in the hearing. The letter was signed by lawyers Alexander Poblador, Dino Vivencio Tamayo, and Anzen Dy.
“The Chief Justice need not repeat her position, as stated in the motion of her counsel that in the impeachment proceeding before the honorable committee, she has the right to appear through counsel and a denial thereof is a violation of due process,” the defense attorneys said.
They added that the House Committee on Justice should “welcome the cross-examination of complainant’s witnesses” by them since the committee “appears to be interested in the truth behind the impeachment case.”
In response to the committee invitation to Sereno, the defense panel pointed out that she had already “aired her side in detail and under oath” and “the burden of proof in this proceeding is on the complainant, and not on the chief justice.”
The Sereno camp also sent to the justice panel a special power of attorney appointing a group of lawyers to act as her “attorneys-in-fact to act for and in my name and stead and to exercise my rights and to otherwise protect my interests in all stages of the impeachment proceedings.”
Also named in the special power of attorney as her lawyers were Justin Christopher Mendoza, Carla S. Pingul, Sandra Mae Magalang, Jayso Aguilar, Oswald Imbat, Enrico Edmundo D. Castelo II, Charles Richard Avila Jr., and Patricia Geraldez. FATE appeal
The Filipino Alliance for Transparency and Empowerment (FATE) appealed to Speaker Alvarez to exercise diplomacy in dealing with Sereno impeachment case.
FATE expressed concern over Alvarez’s alleged pronouncement that he would not acknowledge the High Court’s decision on any possible petition that may be filed by Sereno against the impeachment case.
The group insisted that the public would prefer an elected official to act like a “statesman’’ in dealing with this pressing matter.
FATE stressed that the Supreme Court is a co-equal branch of the government with the Executive and the Legislative that it expects the House to respect Sereno’s rights.
FATE added that the public deserves the right to know the truth and Sereno should be made answerable if she is found liable for the charges against her. But due process should be followed and the House must respect Sereno’s rights as mandated in the Constitution, it said. (With report from Chito Chavez)