Complaint filed vs. Sereno for alleged non-filing of SALN for 17 years

A criminal complaint was filed Friday with the Department of Justice (DOJ) against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for her alleged failure to file her asset statements for 17 years when she was still a law professor at the University of the Philippines (UP).

Lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon filed a complaint for violation of Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees) and Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) based on certifications submitted by the Office of the Ombudsman, UP, and the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

Gadon said Sereno, who was with the UP College of Law from 1986 to 2006, only filed Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) in 1998, 2002, and 2006.

Sereno is currently facing an impeachment complaint, also filed by Gadon, before the House of Representatives.

"While it is beyond question that the respondent is an impeachable officer, and therefore, can only be validly removed from office, through conviction in an impeachment proceeding, complainant nevertheless files this complaint before the DOJ in order to effectively toll the running of the prescriptive period for the offenses charged," Gadon said in the complaint.

'Desperate measure'

Reacting to the complaint, Sereno's camp expressed confidence Gadon "will fall flat doing this latest stunt."

"Indeed desperate times call for desperate measures. Gadon knows that he still has nothing on the Chief Justice after all the undeserved attention that his complaint has been given," said lawyer Josa Deinla, one of Sereno's spokespersons for the impeachment proceedings.

Any government official or employee found guilty of non-filing of SALN under Section 8 of RA 6713 shall be penalized with imprisonment not exceeding five years, or a fine not exceeding P5,000 or both, and in the discretion of the court, disqualification to hold public office.

The DOJ and the Office of the Ombudsman have concurrent jurisdiction over cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan, but it remains to be seen how the department would proceed should it find probable cause to indict her considering Sereno is an impeachable official.

Gadon, meanwhile, said he is planning to file criminal complaints against Supreme Court officials and employees involved in the alleged anomalous purchase of a P5.1-million security vehicle, hiring of an information and communications technology consultant, and use of the presidential villa during an international conference in Boracay in 2015.

Sereno’s camp had said there was nothing irregular, illegal and extravagant about those transactions.

Lawyer Jojo Lacanilao, one of Sereno’s spokespersons, said last week that the top magistrate has been “very prudent in handling the judiciary’s resources.”

He also insisted that Sereno has no intention to resign. — RSJ, GMA News