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Davide saddened by SC division over Sereno impeach rap


Former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. on Wednesday said he is saddened by how the Supreme Court (SC) was divided by the impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

"I try to refrain from making comments on this but I will only say that what is happening in the Supreme Court deeply saddened me because I could not imagine that the Court would be so divided on an issue still pending in the lower house," Davide said in an Unang Hirit interview when asked about the appearance of SC justices at the House justice committee hearings on the impeachment complaint against Sereno.

He said that of the SC justices invited to attend the hearings, Justice Antonio Carpio "took the most wise and prudent move" not to attend the impeachment proceedings."

Carpio told the House panel that he has no personal knowledge of the issues against Sereno.

Among the reasons cited by the House panel in inviting Carpio to the proceedings were allegations that Sereno tampered with the temporary restraining order in connection with the petition filed by Senior Citizens party-list and manipulated and delayed the transfer of Maute cases outside of Mindanao.

He was also asked to testify on the allegation that Sereno lied and made it appear that several justices requested that they do away with the voting on recommendations to replace retiring members of the Supreme Court, and that she hired an information and communications technology consultant without public bidding.

The SC justices who have already appeared before the House justice panel were Associate Justices Teresita de Castro, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Lucas Bersamin, Diosdado Peralta and Samuel Martires,

Court Administrator Midas Marquez, Court of Appeals Associate Justice Remedios Salazar-Fernando and retired SC justice Arturo Brion have also appeared in the proceedings. —Marlly Rome Bondoc/ALG, GMA News

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