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Projected issuance of arrest warrant vs. Sereno has ‘no legal anchorage’ —Lagman


A lawmaker on Monday said that issuing a warrant of arrest against embattled Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for not appearing in her impeachment hearing has "no legal anchorage."

Albay Representative Edcel Lagman pointed out that Sereno's appearances before the House Committee on Justice "will not serve any legal purpose."

"[T]he projected issuance of a warrant of arrest against the Chief Justice has no legal anchorage. It is an empty and useless threat bordering on coercion and arbitrariness," Lagman said in a statement.

 

 

He also reiterated that the top magistrate as a respondent in the pending impeachment proceedings has "inherent and constitutional rights" to "appear through her counsel and have her lawyers cross-examine on her behalf the complainant and adverse witnesses". The panel, however, has denied her these rights.

This came in after House justice committee chairman Reynaldo Umali said that the panel has the power to issue an arrest order against Sereno if the Chief Justice continues to refuse to attend the hearing.

Umali said that such an order does not even need the approval of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, noting that Sereno could not invoke the separation of powers on a co-equal branch in the impeachment proceeding.

Meanwhile, Lagman said that the burden is on complainant Attorney Lorenzo "Larry" Gadon to prove the allegations in his complaint and not for the respondent to "disprove the same considering that Gadon has not even proved anything and his charges are utterly unfounded and based on hearsay."

"Moreover, the accusations have been sufficiently traversed in the Chief Justice's answer and other pleadings," he added.

Sereno is being accused of culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption, other high crimes, and betrayal of public trust, in the complaint filed by Gadon.

The impeachment complaint against her has been determined sufficient in form and substance and also found to be with sufficient grounds.

The House justice panel is continuing its hearing on Monday as of posting time to determine the probable cause in the impeachment case against Sereno. —Marlly Rome Bondoc/KG, GMA News

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