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Sereno hits ongoing tax audit as 'illegal'


Ousted chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Wednesday said she was unlawfully being investigated for taxes she allegedly failed to pay in 2004.

In an interview on State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, Sereno said the ongoing tax audit against her was illegal.

"May tax audit pa sa 'kin, ongoing, for taxes I allegedly did not pay in 2004. Thirteen years ago. Long-prescribed," she said.

"Illegal 'yan ha, kasi three years lang ang prescriptive period," she added.

Section 203 of the Tax Code requires the Bureau of Internal Revenue to conduct a tax assessment within a three-year prescriptive period following the deadline for the filing of the tax return.

Sereno made the statement less than a week after her appointment as chief justice was nullified by a quo warranto petition approved by her co-justices in the Supreme Court in an 8-6 vote.

The petition was filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida, who accused her of failing to submit all her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALNs) when she was applying for the post in 2012.

Prior to this, lawyer Lorenzo Gadon filed a complaint accusing her of committing acts which served as grounds for her impeachment, such as culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption, other high crimes and betrayal of public trust.

Aside from the impeachment case and the tax audit, Sereno was also accused of violating the sub judice rule that may constitute her disbarment.

In the interview, Sereno cried foul that legal cases were also filed against her staff, citing complaints Gadon filed against her staff head lawyer Ma. Lourdes Oliveros and staff member lawyer Michael Ocampo.

"Ginigipit ang mga tao ko," she said.

Sereno reiterated that legal processes that she said were being used against her sets a bad precedent not only for her but also to lesser-powered individuals.

"So makakakita tayo ngayon. What are the legal processes being used for abuse, to silence critics, ano ang lessons diyan sa atin. It's a very, very ominous situation," she said.

"The chief justice was subject to such persecution and harrassment, ano nalang 'yung ordinary citizen na gustong magreklamo? Ano nalang 'yung  ordinary lawyer? Ano nalang 'yung ordinary politicians?" she added. — Margaret Claire Layug/BAP, GMA News

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