The lawyer mulling on filing a second impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is hoping to get signatures of at least 10 House of Representatives members to endorse his impeachment try.
Reporters waited at the House of Representatives Secretary-General鈥檚 office for Atty. Larry Gadon, who apparently met with five lawmakers in closed-door meetings, one of whom advised him to get as many as 10 signatures.
In an interview at the House press office, Gadon said he was advised by one House member to get as many as 10 endorsers to put out any question about his impeachment complaint.
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno (File photo by RAFFY LERMA/Philippine Daily Inquirer)
He also left copies of his complaint to the lawmakers to give them more time to study the impeachment complaint against the chief justice, Gadon added.
鈥淵ung kausap ko, gusto niya na dapat marami, at least sampu, para mas maganda yung dating. Mahirap naman kasi kung mag-isa lang siyang pipirma,鈥� Gadon said.
鈥淜ung pipilitin naman na pumirma yung gustong pumirma na hindi binabasa at hindi nasu-scrutinize yung attachments, lalabas naman yun na parang napilitan sila,鈥� he added.
Gadon said his complaint would include Sereno鈥檚 alleged betrayal of public trust, an impeachable offense in the 1987 Constitution, on the Supreme Court鈥檚 鈥渨himsical鈥� and 鈥渆xcessive鈥� purchase of the latest model of the Toyota Land Cruiser amounting to P5.1 million.
The luxury vehicle was purchased at P5.1 million even though it was only priced at P4.5 million, Gadon said.
鈥淚t appears that yung kotse, the same model, it鈥檚 only P4.5 million, and the Supreme Court paid P5.1 million. That is excluding the bullet proofing which will amount to P3 million more or less, according to some experts,鈥� Gadon said.
Gadon said he did not want to commit the same mistake as the first impeachment complaint filers, the听Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), and the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution, whose members earlier today (Wednesday) filed an unverified impeachment complaint against Sereno without a House member鈥檚 endorsement.
This means the complaint may not be considered sufficient in form by the House justice committee which will deliberate on the form and substance of the complaint.
A verified endorsement of a House member is required before an impeachment complaint may be considered filed before the lower House.
搁贰础顿:听Impeach complaint vs Chief Justice Sereno has no endorser听
Corruption
In his un-submitted complaint, Gadon accused Sereno of corruption for using 鈥減ublic funds to finance her extravagant and lavish lifestyle by ordering the purchase of a brand-new luxurious Toyota Land Cruiser 2017 model as her personal vehicle, amounting to more than P5 million.鈥�
鈥淩espondent听Sereno听was not content with the vehicles assigned to her, a fairly recent model of Toyota Camry sedan and听a听Hyundai听Starexvan. She wanted more,鈥� Gadon said.
Gadon said Sereno wanted a luxury vehicle on top of her听鈥渃oterie of security personnel riding in separate听vehicles and traffic听escorts听two motorcycles,鈥� which were also purchased 鈥渦sing Supreme Court funds.鈥�
Gadon said Sereno was allowed to buy the latest mode of the sports car even though the other Supreme Court magistrates have to be contented with a听Toyota Camry or a Toyota听Grandia.
鈥淓arly on as Chief Justice, Respondent Sereno already听took a fancy at a luxurious sports utility vehicle, the latest model of a Toyota Land Cruiser, her dream car.听 Thus, after some dilly-dallying, she instructed听the concerned听office听in the Supreme Court to purchase, for her听personal听use, the latest model of a brand-new Toyota Land Cruiser,鈥� Gadon said.
鈥淗er 鈥榚quals,鈥櫶齮he other fourteen Magistrates of the High Court,听however must be content with a Toyota Camry and a Toyota听Grandia, or their equivalent,鈥� he added.
The purchase of the luxury vehicle at an 鈥渆xorbitant and grossly excessive price for her personal use,鈥� Gadon said, only showed Sereno鈥檚 鈥渋njudiciousness, lack of听economy and听propriety,听and听grave听abuse听of discretion.鈥�
鈥淪ereno听even ordered the bullet-proofing of the Land Cruiser, but only withdrew when news of her impending impeachment broke out,鈥� Gadon added.
Gadon also accused Sereno of corruption for using taxpayers鈥� money to听鈥渟tay in opulent hotels when attending conferences听in the Philippines听and听abroad, and flying on business听or first听class together with her staff and security.鈥�
鈥淪he used public funds to听flaunt听her extravagance by unnecessarily bringing a huge entourage of lawyers in her supposed official foreign trips,鈥� Gadon said in the impeachment complaint.
Culpable violation of Constitution, SALN
Gadon said Sereno听committed听a听culpable violation of the Constitution for allegedly failing to truthfully disclose her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
Gadon alleged that Sereno was听鈥渦ntruthful鈥� because she 鈥渄eliberately excluded鈥澨齣n her SALN alleged 鈥渆xorbitant lawyer鈥檚 fees鈥� amounting to听$745,000 or听P37 million听she received from the Philippine government.
鈥淎ccordingly, the failure of Respondent听Sereno听to be truthful in her SALN is another instance of听culpable violation of听the Constitution that merits her听immediate听dismissal from the service,鈥� Gadon said.
The issue of SALN declarations by magistrates is a sensitive issue since the late Chief Justice Renato Corona was convicted by Congress acting as an impeachment court for false declarations of wealth in his SALN.
Sereno is also accused of听culpably violating of the Constitution when she 鈥渕anipulated鈥� the shortlist of the Judicial and Bar Council to exclude former Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza over 鈥減ersonal and political reasons, thereby disgracing then Sol. Gen.听Jardeleza, and curtailing the President鈥檚 power to appoint him.鈥�
搁贰础顿:听Chief Justice Sereno accused of manipulating JBC selection process
鈥淚ndeed, the听gross and malicious manipulation of the JBC听and disgracing of Justice听Jardeleza by Respondent听Sereno听are听culpable violations of听the Constitution,鈥� Gadon said.
Betrayal of public trust
Gadon accused Sereno of betraying the public trust for her听鈥渟trongly-worded but misplaced reply鈥� on President Rodrigo听Duterte鈥檚 narcolist implicating judges in the drug trade,听urging the magistrates not to surrender to police without an arrest warrant.
搁贰础顿:听Sereno to judges: Don鈥檛 surrender to cops sans arrest warrant
Gadon also alleged that Sereno听鈥減revented the Justices of the Court of听Appeals to do a courtesy call on听President Rodrigo听Roa听Duterte.鈥�
Gadon also cited Sereno鈥檚 message supposedly attacking Duterte鈥檚 martial law imposition in Mindanao, even when petitions questioning the martial law was then pending before the Supreme Court.
搁贰础顿:听Sereno warns against abuse of martial law powers
鈥淪he attacked the imposition of Martial Law in a commencement address, while the validity of Martial Law was still pending before the Supreme Court, and later continued to participate in the Court鈥檚 deliberations,鈥� Gadon said.
Gadon also accused Sereno of 鈥渦surp(ing) the mandate of the Court听en banc听by arrogating to herself alone the running of the Supreme Court and the Judiciary, thereby destroying the Supreme Court as a collegial body.鈥�
Other high crimes
Gadon also accused Sereno of committing other high crimes, when she allegedly 鈥渙bstructed听justice by ordering the听Muntinlupa听Judges not to issue warrants of arrest against Senator Leila M. De Lima.鈥�
Sereno also allegedly 鈥減erverted justice鈥� when she met with the Presiding Justice and Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals instructing them not to comply with the processes of the House of Representatives, which earlier issued a show cause order against the appellate justices who granted the writ of habeas corpus of the Ilocos Six.
搁贰础顿:听SC backs CA in legal tussle with House over 鈥業locos Six鈥�
The six provincial government officials of Ilocos Norte governor Imee Marcos had been ordered released from almost two months in House detention for contempt.
They were detained for 55 days refusing to answer questions on the House inquiry into听the P66.45 million tobacco funds allegedly misspent on minicabs, buses and minitrucks.
搁贰础顿:听鈥業locos Six鈥� free to go
Gadon also accused Sereno of听听鈥渇ail(ing) to report her extortionate attorney鈥檚 fees and pay the appropriate taxes therefor,鈥� as well as 鈥渆mbellish(ing) her Personal Data Sheet (PDS) in her application for the Judiciary to overstate her credentials.鈥�