Impeach raps vs Sereno, Bautista start moving

The impeachment complaints filed against Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista have started rolling.

On behalf of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, head executive assistant lawyer Warren de Jesus endorsed or referred on Tuesday the Sereno and Bautista impeachment complaints to the House committee on rules headed by House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas.

Under House rules, the referral is a step closer to being sent to the House committee on justice of Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali that will hear and assess the suits, aside from verifying if they are sufficient in form and in substance.

It is in the Umali committee where all the attachments submitted by the complainants will be scrutinized and where the impeachable official will be given the opportunity to defend himself or herself, before all panel members vote to elevate it or not to the plenary for approval.

So far, a total of 41 House members have endorsed the two Sereno impeachment complaints, which Alvarez said could reach 200 signatories if he didn’t persuade his colleagues to lay low first, because he wanted it to be an airtight case.

Lawyer Lorenzo Gadon managed to obtain 25 endorsers, among them four House deputy speakers, while the second suit from the groups Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution got the imprimatur of 16 lawmakers.

On the other hand, three lawmakers led by Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia endorsed Bautista’s impeachment complaint.

The complaint was based on the exposeé made by Bautista’s estranged wife Patricia Cruz about the Comelec chief’s alleged P1.2-billion ill-gotten wealth.

Bautista declared his total assets to be only P165 million based on his 2017 statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

Both officials, Sereno and Bautista, have been accused of betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption and culpable violation of the 1987 Constitution that are grounds for impeachment of impeachable officials heading independent, constitutional bodies.

Alvarez expressed confidence that the evidence against Sereno is strong, considering that no less than the 15-member Supreme Court has provided complainants with all the documents needed in the proceeding, although he wants to be doubly sure it can stand trial.

“It would be unfair if we proceed to allow the impeachment trial at the Senate immediately. –