The chairman of the House Committee on Justice said yesterday the latest Social Weather Stations survey showing the declining satisfaction rating of Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno proved that the impeachment case against her “is getting more traction.”
Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali even noted that the continued failure of Sereno to face the impeachment panel “partly” contributed to her sagging public satisfaction rating.
Based on the SWS survey conducted from December 8 to 16, Sereno’s net satisfaction rating stayed neutral, at +6 in December 2017, although down by 3 points from +9 ( with 35 percent satisfied, 26 percent dissatisfied) in September 2017.
This is her lowest net satisfaction rating score since the neutral -1 in December 2015.
Umali noted that aside from Associate Justices Mariano del Castillo and Samuel Martires, “more witnesses” will testify when their panel resumes impeachment hearings by this January.
Congress is set to resume its session on January 15, 2018.
“We will continue to be fair and objective to all parties concerned in ferreting out the truth during our hearings,” said Umali.
Earlier, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said he found overwhelming probable cause to impeach the Chief Justice.
Alvarez said the testimonies of the four magistrates Associate Justices Noel Tijam, Teresita Leonardo De Castro, Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza and retired Associate Justice Arturo Brion were enough to pin Sereno down. (Charissa M. Luci-Atienza)