Supreme Court Associate Justice Noel Tijam urged Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to attend the House justice committee hearings deliberating her impeachment to explain why she dilly-dallied on the benefits of court retirees and their spouses.
鈥淚 encourage the Chief Justice to attend so that she can explain why she dilly dallied and decided not to bring it to the attention of en banc,鈥� Tijam said during the resumption of House impeachment hearings against Sereno on Monday.
鈥淚f she continues to ignore participating in this committee, that would show disdain and contempt to this committee as this is a constitutional process,鈥� Tijam said.
Tijam, who was President Duterte鈥檚 first appointed justice in the SC, also took a swipe at Sereno for not immediately bringing the matter of the survivorship benefits to the en banc.
One of the bases for Sereno鈥檚 impeachment was the inordinate delay in the resolution on the survivorship benefits for the court justices and judges鈥� spouses. The complaint said Sereno and some other justices鈥� creation of special committees to decide on the benefits caused the SC to delay the resolution for more than two years.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand why it took two years. The en banc can immediately issue decision provided that it鈥檚 immediately brought to the SC鈥檚 attention. We cherish the urgency of important matters,鈥� Tijam said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 better to have 15 minds rather than have one person deciding whether it鈥檚 important or not,鈥� he said.聽/cbb