By Ben R. Rosario
The absence in tomorrow’s impeachment hearing of Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio does not bear any impact on the strength of the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, complainant Lorenzo Gadon said yesterday.
Appearing in a weekly news forum in Quezon City, Gadon said the testimonies of witnesses, including those of three incumbent and one former SC justices, have already substantiated the bid to remove Sereno as chief magistrate.
He added that three more SC magistrates, Associate Justices Lucas Bersamin, Diosdado Peralta, and Samuel Martires, were expected to shed light into the impeachment allegations he filed.
Associate Justices Teresita de Castro, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, and retired Associate Justice Arturo Brion have already testified the House Committee on Justice.
Chaired by Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali, the Justice panel will continue the impeachment hearings tomorrow, the day when regular Congress sessions resume.
“I am confident that Articles of Impeachment can already be drawn based on the testimonies of witnesses who appeared in the series of justice committee hearings last year. But I recommend that all other allegations should be presented in the hearings because these are equally important as those that have already been supported with evidence and testimonies,” Gadon said.
