Sereno lawyers disappointed over finding of sufficient grounds to impeach her

The camp of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Thursday expressed disappointment over the decision of the House Committee on Justice to find sufficiency of grounds on the impeachment complaint lodged against her.

"We're kind of disappointed kasi ang expectation namin, ngayon araw, ang sanang sinagot ng committee [ay] meron bang ebidensya yung mga alegasyon? 'Yun ang expectation namin," laywer Anacleto Lacanilao III, part of Sereno's defense team, told reporters in an ambush interview.

With a vote of 25-2, the House panel approved the motion of Misamis Occidental Representative Henry Oaminal  to find sufficiency in grounds in the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Larry Gadon.

But for Lacanilao, the hearing for the finding of sufficiency of grounds seemingly had no difference with the hearing for finding sufficiency in form and substance.

'Bogus complaint'

"Ano ba yung kaibahan nun? Ngayon sana, 'yung sagutin nila is 'yung meron bang ebidensya. At sa aming pananaw, yung complaint talaga is bogus, wala pong ebidensya at wala pong sustansiya yun," he said.

Lacanilao said he was expecting the committee to check if there was evidence for each allegation in the complaint.

"Kasi sa palagay namin, walang ebidensya. Walang papel, wala siyang affidavits, yung iba nga marami pa siyang admissions. Based on that, wala talagang ebidensya sana, it's not sufficient in grounds," he said.

Lawyer Josa Deinla, spokesperson for Sereno, shared Lacanilao's sentiments.

"Dismayado kami na inaprubahan yung pagtingin na sufficient ang grounds sa impeachment complaint dahil paulit-ulit naming iginigiit yung panawagan na ibasura ito sa simpleng dahilan na walang sapat na batayan," she said.

"Hindi nga sapat na tawaging impeachable offenses, in the first place, 'yung mga alegasyon ng complainant," she added.

Right to counsel

Despite this development, Lacanilao said they respect the decision of the House panel.

"Be that as it may, we will proceed and then we will continue to make our points. And one important substantive question na gusto namin ma-resolve sana ng committee 'yung right to counsel ni Chief Justice," he said.

The House panel, during the hearing, did not consider the letters filed by the lawyers asserting Sereno's right to cross-examine the witnesses through counsel.

"We're hoping, quite apart from formal issues, tignan nila 'yung substantive issue na may karapatan ba to cross-examination. May karapatan po siya to counsel. Kasi kung si Chief Justice po yung magko-cross examination, mahirap po. Logistically, wala siyang time, marami siyang ginagawa. And I think and we feel, substantively, 'yung right to counsel ay nasa consti (Constitution) 'yun," Lacanilao said. —KBK, GMA News