REP. UMALI SAYS

Enrile eyed as prosecution team member in Sereno impeach trial

House Committee on Justice chair Reynaldo Umali on Sunday confirmed that former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is being considered to be a part of private prosecution panel in the looming impeachment trial of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

"Kasama ring kino-consider si [Enrile] as part of the prosecution team," Umali told Super Radyo dzBB interview.

"Ganun ang sitwasyon ngayon. Siya naman ay available para tumulong sa prosecution," Umali added.

In particular, Umali said Enrile is being considered as an adviser to the private prosecution panel.

Enrile was the presiding judge during the impeachment trial of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was found guilty of failure to disclose his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

This same allegation is also included in the impeachment complaint against Sereno.

Umali admitted that Enrile's experience in presiding the impeachment trial against Corona makes the former senator a valuable part of the private prosecution team.

"Ang timbang din ng being presiding judge ng Senate impeachment court, lalo't higit yung issue ng SALN na ito na sila ay nagdesisyon, ay malaking kalinawan at malaking tulong ang mabibigay niya sa prosecution team," he said.

Umali said they are still in the process of formulating the prosecution team. Their focus as of the moment is creating the articles of impeachment against Sereno.

"Basta ang guidelines, or yung criteria as a prosecutor, kailangan abogado. Marami naman kaming abogado, 40 mahigit ang abogado namin kaya I'm sure there are a lot of congressmen that can be part of the prosecution team," he said.

"Pangalawa, dapat merong litigation experience para hindi masyadong minamaliit kami na porke kami ay congressmen, kami ay mga walang binatbat. Preferably, merong experience sa impeachment," he added.

Many have also expressed interest in becoming part of the private prosecution team, Umali said.

"Maraming volunteers na. Yung mga dating nasa kabilang panig ay ngayon nag-volunteer na sa amin," he said.

"Hindi pa lang namin pinag-uusapan din pero definitely iba na rin yung meron kaming kasamang practitioners," he added.

The House justice panel last Thursday found probable cause in the impeachment complaint against Sereno.

After the voting, all the vice chairpersons of the committee were constituted as a small body tasked to draft the committee report on the proceedings as well as the articles of impeachment.

The next meeting of the panel is set on March 14, when the draft committee report is expected to be voted upon. —LBG, GMA News