Sereno
SUPREME COURT Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno has denied any involvement on the Ombudsman decision to dismiss Cebu 3rd district Representative Gwen Garcia from office over the controversial Balili property purchase.
Sereno said Ombudsman Conchita Carpio – Morales functions independent from the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court Chief Justice was in Cebu on Wednesday afternoon to address over 100 lawyers and law students who gathered at the Sacred Heart Convention Center for a forum called “Road to Judicial Reforms: An Afternoon with Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno.”
In an open forum after her speech, a law student asked for Sereno’s reaction on Garcia’s insinuation that she had a hand on the Ombudsman order.
“I think my spokesperson already replied (to this issue). I have absolutely nothing to do with her (Garcia’s) present predicament,” was Sereno’s reply.
She no longer elaborated on her answer.
The Ombudsman ruling stemmed from Garcia’s decision to enter into a P24.4 million contracted on April 2012 for the supply of backfilling materials for the province-owned Balili property in Naga City.