The camp of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno belied on Wednesday聽Associate Justice Teresita de Castro鈥檚 statement that the Supreme Court (SC) top magistrate issued an order that did not conform to the court en banc.
In an e-mailed response to De Castro鈥檚 statements at the resumption聽of the House hearing on her impeachment, Sereno鈥檚 camp said the SC en banc approved the creation of Regional Court Administrative Office (RCAO) in Region 7, contrary to what is being accused of her.
鈥淚t is false to say that the Chief Justice acted unilaterally and without the knowledge of the Court En Banc when she issued A.O. No. 175-2012,鈥� Sereno鈥檚 lawyers said.
鈥淧recisely, the creation of said office, its budget as well as the designation of its staff, had already been approved and delineated in earlier Resolutions of the Court,鈥� they added.
According to her lawyers, Sereno 鈥渟imply implemented these earlier Court En Banc resolutions creating an RCAO in the seventh judicial region, after studying the problems besetting far-flung courts.鈥�
鈥淐ontrary to Complainant鈥檚 baseless allegations, there is no En Banc Resolution nullifying, superseding or otherwise 鈥榮crapping鈥� the Supreme Court鈥檚 resolutions creating the RCAO-7, including the assailed 27 November 2012 Resolution in A.M. No.12-11-9-SC,鈥� they asserted.
In a separate interview, Sereno鈥檚 lead counsel, lawyer Jojo Lacanilao, said the chief justice did not falsify the administrative orders.
鈥淗indi po totoo 鈥榶an kasi kanina po nakita nyo hinahanapan ng minutes yung en banc. 鈥榊ung en banc po talaga walang nakakapasok na staff dun kundi mga justices. Ang nagno-note taking po dun si CJ Sereno,鈥� Lacanilao told reporters in an ambush interview while the House justice panel hearing took a 30-minute break.
These notes, he said, reflected the orders which Sereno drafted for the SC en banc.
鈥淎ccurate po 鈥榶un according to her understanding of the decision nung panahon na 鈥榶un on the RCAO,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o wala po syang finake dun kasi kung finake po 鈥榶un, lahat po ng justices sana nagreklamo.鈥�
Lacanilao said the differences between Sereno and De Castro鈥檚 opinions and claims should be an 鈥渋nternal matter鈥� which the SC justices should 鈥渞esolve among themselves internally.鈥�
On November 27, 2012, Sereno issued Administrative Order No. 175-2012 creating the聽Judiciary Decentralized Office (JDO)聽and reopening the post of RCAO-7 Associate Justice.
搁贰础顿:听Sereno impeachment case: De Castro bares dubious creation of Cebu admin office
De Castro said Sereno issued these orders 鈥渨ithout getting the approval of the Supreme Court en banc.鈥�
She said Sereno also appointed聽Geraldine Faith Econg, the court鈥檚 head of the program management office, as head of RCAO-7.
These orders are part of the basis of lawyer-complainant Lorenzo 鈥淟arry鈥� Gadon for accusing Sereno of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, corruption and other high crimes.
搁贰础顿:听Fari帽as thinks Sereno violated Constitution for creating JDO
/kga