SC justice denies hand in Sereno impeachment bid

Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta yesterday cried foul over the insinuation of a newly formed group that he is part of the alleged plot to oust Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Peralta debunked the reported claim of Action for Good Governance (AGG), a supposed causeoriented group, that he has been conspiring with another SC justice to impeach Sereno.

The House committee on justice has found the impeachment complaint against Sereno sufficient in form and substance. In a statement sent to The

STAR, his judicial staff head – lawyer Jason Zapanta – stressed that Peralta is too busy with his tasks in the judiciary to even take time to commit the actions alleged by AGG against him by manner of “libelous remarks.”

“Accordingly, despite his heavy workload as an associate justice, where he is one of the top performers in terms of judicial disposition of cases, and as vice chairperson of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, Justice Peralta still managed to chair the special committee on small claims case and the Special Committee on Speedy Trial,” the statement stressed.

Since June of this year, the statement added Peralta has been conducting lectures nationwide on the revised guidelines to justices, judges, prosecutors, public attorneys, lawyers and other court personnel.

“With all his work commitments, it is unimaginable that he still has time to do the things that were attributed to him,” the statement said.

Peralta’s camp also took exception to the allegation of the group that he is being used by the family of late strongman Ferdinand Marcos to oust Sereno.

Peralta penned the decision allowing the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in November of last year. AGG alleged that the ruling came after Peralta attended a cyber security conference in Romania with Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos also present.

But the magistrate pointed out that penning the decision on the Marcos burial case was upon assignment by the high court based on its internal rules and his opinion became the majority decision after a 9-5 vote.

He confirmed attending the cybercrime conference in Bucharest, Romania in October last year upon invitation of the Council of Europe, but stressed that he did not see Imee Marcos or any representative of the family there.

The magistrate likewise belied the reported allegation of AGG that he has been announcing in the SC that he would be the next chief justice and his wife, Court of Appeals Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta, will be the next presiding justice of the appellate court after Sereno’s ouster.

The justice said such claim is far from truth since he has been supportive of the reforms initiated by Sereno in the judiciary.

“On the contrary, he has supported all the reform projects of the Chief Justice and the Court and has willingly accepted all the assignments and tasks that the Chief Justice has requested and required of him,” the statement read.

Peralta’s statement also said the insinuation involving the appointment of his wife in the CA is fabricated, pointing out that they did not even appeal the decision of the Judicial and Bar Council to exclude her in the shortlist for an earlier vacancy for the CA presiding justice post due to some out-of-date documentary requirements despite being number four in seniority in the appellate court.

“Neither Justice Diosdado nor Justice Fernanda moved for a reconsideration of this decision. It is baffling then how Justice Fernanda can be the next presiding justice,” the statement said.

Peralta’s camp also denied the group’s claim that he has been pressuring witnesses into signing untruthful affidavits, in support of the fabricated charges against the Chief Justice.

“That is simply subordination or perjury, a criminal offense. He will not stoop so low,” the statement stressed.

The AGG has claimed Peralta was affected by Sereno’s appointment as Chief Justice by the previous administration as he seemed to have already planned out his career and expected himself to become chief justice.

But when former president Benigno Aquino III appointed Sereno as chief justice in 2012, they said “Peralta’s plan was foiled.”