CJ Sereno’s leave ‘indefinite’ for Senate trial preparations —spokesperson

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno's "wellness leave" is indefinite to give her adequate time to prepare for the Senate trial on the impeachment complaint against the high official.

Lawyer Carlo Cruz said Wednesday in an interview on Unang Balita that it was Sereno's decision to advance her wellness leave from March 12 to March 23 to March 1 to March 15 to prepare for the trial they anticipated since 2017.

"'Yun pong kanyang indefinite leave, parang indefinite po yata ang mangyayari kasi hindi po natin alam kung gaano katagal ang preparasyon at tsaka ang trial sa Senado, ay parang kinarga niya sa aprubadong wellness leave niya," Cruz explained.

The chief justice sent a letter dated February 27 to the SC en banc deputy clerk about her indefinite leave.

LOOK: Sereno's letter informing SC en banc deputy clerk of ‘indefinite leave’

Sereno's camp on Tuesday said no one could force the high magistrate to go on an indefinite leave following a report that her colleagues forced her to do so by threatening to call for her resignation if she refused. 

Her camp also insisted on Tuesday that Sereno's wellness leave was not indefinite. However, Oriental Mindoro 2nd District Representative Reynaldo Umali, chairman of the House committee on justice, belied during the impeachment hearing on Tuesday that Sereno is taking a "wellness leave," saying it was an "indefinite leave."

"Ang dalawang panig po dito ay pareho namang tama na wellness leave po ito, pero meron po siyang discretion na pwede niya pong patagalin pa. So in that sense po, indefinite ang kanyang leave dahil po lamang sa kanyang pagprepara na, mukhang malinaw naman na papunta po tayo sa Senado," Cruz noted.

He said reports of other justices forcing her to resign impinged their image, noting that "suggestion" was a better word for it but impressing that Sereno has never accepted any plans for her resignation.

Cruz added that calls for the impeachment of the Chief Justice extended to the dignity of the office itself.

"Bilang punong mahistrado, kailangan pong panindigan 'yan, ang kasarinlan ng ating Korte Suprema," Cruz said.

Psych records

The spokesperson said psychological and psychiatric evaluations were not part of the requirements sought from Sereno when she applied for the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) in 2012.

"Kailangan po ay natural-born citizen, 40 anyos po, 15 taon sa practice ng law o kaya huwes ng mababang korte. Lahat po 'yun pasok si Chief Justice Sereno. Wala po siyang tinago. Lahat po nakipag-cooperate siya," Cruz said.

He said there was no pertinent evidence for the impeachment case in the assessment of psychologist Dr. Geraldine Tria on Sereno's profile.

"Parang wala namang ebidensyang pertinente sa tinatawag nating impeachment. Wala naman po 'yan sa impeachable grounds," Cruz said.

The House committee on justice threatened to cite members of the JBC in contempt should they fail to submit copies of Sereno's psychological and psychiatric test results, which were said to be "strictly confidential."

"Let's just move on po. Harapin na lang po natin kung ano ang mangyayari. Handa naman po si Chief Justice Sereno," Cruz said.

After conducting 15 hearings, the committee will vote next week to determine probable cause in the impeachment complaint lodged by Atty. Lorenzo Gadon against Sereno.

Gadon accused the chief justice of high crimes such as corruption, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution, among others, that constitute her impeachment. —Rie Takumi/KG, GMA News