Rather than face her accusers in the House justice committee — which is comprised of administration allies anyway — Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s decision to bring her case to the bar of public opinion is both a risk and a sign that she is feeling the pressure exerted on her by Malacañang.
In a TV interview, Sereno warned that chief complainant Larry Gadon faces charges of perjury for claiming that he has “personal knowledge” of the charges he filed against her such as misdeclaration of statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), falsification of court resolutions, excessive use of judiciary funds and so on.
Sereno was emphatic that the burden of proof lies on Gadon and not on her and that she is ready to face impeachment proceedings. “What is happening is actually wrong because all the onus is being given to me,” she said.
Sereno can actually thank the previous administration for crossing that bridge after former President Benigno Aquino III lobbied with allies in Congress to successfully impeach then Chief Justice Renato Corona.
In a speech right before voting to clear Corona, the late Senator Joker Arroyo warned that the Senate was crossing into dangerous territory when it decided to impeach the late Corona on charges of falsifying his SALN.
Corona was impeached and his case served as precedent for Duterte’s allies in Congress to pursue impeachment against Sereno, who advised justices tagged in the President’s drug watch list not to turn themselves in unless there’s an arrest warrant issued against them.
With impeachment looming around the corner, Sereno’s decision to answer allegations against her in a TV interview shows, despite her pronouncements to the contrary, just how much pressure the Palace is bringing to bear on her.
As if that’s not enough, the House justice committee said her non-appearance at their hearings will constitute a waiver of her right to refute the charges against her despite the presence of her legal team.
Despite assurances by administration lawmakers, like Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu’s 3rd District, that the chief justice will be “treated fairly” during the committee proceedings, the prevailing opinion is that Sereno will commit a grave mistake if she chooses to appear at the House where lawmakers can gang up on her, rather than the Senate.
The risk is real, and it remains to be seen if Sereno can succeed in winning public opinion on her innocence from these charges.
But she has a valid point: unless the accuser and his backers produce incontrovertible evidence proving her guilt on the allegations he raised against her, they have no business wasting taxpayers’ money and time in staging an impeachment case against her that will only further polarize the people and risk damaging the judiciary’s independence and integrity.
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