Rep. Reynaldo Umali, chair of the House Committee on Justice (File photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The camp of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is asking the justice committee of the House of Representatives to recall the show cause order issued against two of her spokespersons over statements purportedly critical of the panel.
The committee is hearing the impeachment complaint against Sereno filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon.
Last Nov. 28, the committee chaired by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali ordered lawyers Aldwin Salumbides and Joshua Santiago, along with Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Roberto Cadiz, to explain why they should not be cited in contempt by the panel.
The panel cited an online article of the Inquirer entitled 鈥淪ereno lawyers want impeach case in the Senate鈥� where Santiago was quoted as describing the ongoing impeachment proceeding as a 鈥渄og and pony show.鈥�
According to Sereno鈥檚 camp, the article was based on the answers to questions propounded the lawyers during a media forum held on Nov. 25 at Annabel鈥檚 Restaurant in Quezon City.
In his compliance to the show cause order, Santiago said he 鈥渟incerely meant no ill-will鈥� and 鈥渘either slur nor smear was intended鈥� when he made such statement.
鈥淚t was never my intention to offend or disrespect the Honorable Committee or any member thereof,鈥� Santiago said in a two-page pleading he submitted to the House justice panel. /cbb