25 solons endorse impeachment complaint against CJ Sereno

A 52-page impeachment complaint seeking the ouster of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes A. Sereno was finally filed in the House of Representatives Tuesday after at least 25 congressmen, including four deputy speakers, endorsed it.

Filed by lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon, the complaint was endorsed after the 25 solons were convinced that the causes for Sereno’s removal are backed by pieces of evidence the complainant had secured from the Supreme Court.

But Gadon remains hopeful that the Sereno complaint can still muster at least 99 House members as endorsers for it to be automatically elevated to the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, for hearings.

The four Deputy Speakers are Gwendolyn Garcia (Cebu), Mylene Garcia-Albano (Davao City), Ferdinand Hernandez (South Cotabato), and Frederick Abueg (Palawan).

Also serving as endorsers were congressmen Edgar Sarmiento (Samar), Anthony Bravo (COOP NATCCO Partylist), Arnel Ty (LPGMA Partylist), Rodito Albano (Isabela), Francisco Matugas III (Surigao del Norte), Aurelio Gonzales (Pampanga), Federico Sandoval (Malabon), Joel Almario (Davao Oriental), Romeo Acop (Antipolo City), and Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo (Quezon City).

Also signing the complaint were Pedro Acharon Jr. (South Cotabato), XJ Romualdo (Camiguin), Gil Acosta (Palawan), Ann Hofer (Zamboanga Sibugay), Winnie Castelo (Quezon City), Jericho Nograles (PBA Partylist), John Marvin Nieto (Manila), Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte), Roger Mercado (Southern Leyte), Jennifer Barzaga (Cavite) and Lorna Bautista-Bandigan (Davao Occidental). “Respondent Sereno committed

a culpable violation of the Constitution when she failed to truthfully disclose her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth or SALN,” Gadon said in the complaint.

The complaint said Sereno committed the same constitutional infraction when she did not declare in her SALN in her initial SALN the “exorbitant lawyer’s fees” of $745,000 or 137 million which she received from the Philippine government.

The private practitioner said that among the 27 issues raised against the incumbent Chief Justice, the SALN issue presents the strongest case.

Gadon said nine of the 22 various documentary evidence issued by the SC have been attached to the complaint.

“The Supreme Court has agreed to furnish me 22 out of the 23 types of documentary evidence that I requested. Copies of the nine papers have been furnished the endorsers while the rest, including the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth of the Chief Justice will be secured within the week,” Gadon said.

Gadon was accompanied by the endorsers at the office of Secretary General Cesar Pareja at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to file the complaint which he sent to lawmakers two weeks ago.

“As soon as I presented partially the evidence supportive of my complaint, the endorsers quickly affixed their signatures. Clearly, after being given several days to complaint, they are convinced we have the goods to oust the chief justice on various charges,” he said.