Alvarez to Sereno: Face impeachment raps or resign

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has asked Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to resign if she would not want to shed light on the allegations made against her in her impeachment case.

"Kung ako, kung alam ko na inosente ako sa charges, kaya kong panindigan 'yan e. Haharap ako sa impeachment ko. Haharap ako sa komite," Alvarez said in a radio interview on Wednesday night.

"Pero kung medyo alanganin ka at alam mong medyo marami ka ring tinatago e nasasayo na 'yan. Mag-decide ka na lang. Kung may tinatago at ayaw mong masiwalat, e mag-resign ka," he added.

Sereno's lawyers has written the House Committee on Justice to assert her right to cross-examine witnesses that will be presented during the impeachment proceedings though her counsel.

Panel chairman Reynaldo Umali, however, said the committee would only allow cross-examination if Sereno would do it herself.

"We will not allow the lawyers to speak directly to the cross examination, because that is not allowed by the rules of the House. Only the resource persons, in this case the respondent, in my own interpretation of our own rules, may be allowed to do that," Umali said.

Alvarez shared Umali's view, saying that Sereno, as the accused, should face the impeachment proceeding herself.

"Kailangan niyang humarap dahil siya yung akusado dito. Ngayon, kapag hindi siya humarap, edi iwi-waive yan. Ano yan, eh di lahat ng sasabihin against her ay hindi niya madedepensahan yung sarili niya?" Alvarez said.

"Hindi naman 'yung abogado 'yung akusado rito. Siya. E bakit siya takot humarap? Ibig sabihin ay... wala siyang ganun katibay na loob at konsensya para harapin niya yung accusers niya," he added.

Alvarez said that for him, the allegations contained in the impeachment complaint against Sereno are stronger than those against Commission on Elections chair Andres Bautista.

"Bakit hindi mabigat? Kumpleto yung dokumento at saka ang daming gustong magtestigo," Alvarez said.

"Authentic talaga, anong magagawa natin?" he added.

The House justice panel recently found the impeachment complaint against Sereno with sufficient grounds.

The panel will hold a hearing to determine probable cause in the complaint in November. —NB, GMA News