CJ Sereno faces raps over SALN
Published Jan 27, 2018 12:05 am
By Jeffrey G. Damicog
A criminal complaint was filed Friday against beleaguered Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for alleged failure to file her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) for almost 20 years during her tenure as law professor at the University of the Philippines (UP).
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno
(Ali Vicoy | Manila Bulletin) Lawyer Lorenzo Gadon filed the complaint-affidavit before the Department of Justice (DOJ). The complaint accused the Chief Justice of having violated provisions of the Republic Act (RA) 6713 (Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees) and RA 3019 (the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act). Gadon had also filed the impeachment complaint against Serano before the House of Representatives last August. In the complaint filed Friday, Gadon said that Sereno had only filed SALNs on 1998, 2002, and 2006 during her tenure as law professor at the UP College of Law from 1986 up to 2006 – which was discovered during the impeachment proceedings at the House of Representatives. The lawyer noted he has received certifications from UP, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Judicial Bar Council which all certified that Sereno only filed three SALNs during her tenure as UP law professor. “This is a criminal act na dapat nyang panagutan (she should be held liable for),” Gadon told reporters. “Kaya ako ay nag-file ng case at kumpleto itong ebidensya na to (That’s why I filed the complaint and the evidence is complete),” he added. Requirement for position Because of the violations, Gadon pointed out Sereno shouldn’t have been accepted as a justice of the SC when she applied for the position. Sereno became a member of the SC in 2010 and became Chief Justice in 2012. “Iyan ang requirements sa Supreme Court na dapat mag submit ng 10 years na SALN (It is the requirement of the SC to submit your SALNs of 10 years)if you are a previous government employee,” he pointed out. “Kung tutuusin hindi siya qualified from the very start (If you look at that, she wasn’t qualified from the very start),” Gadon stressed. Not forum shopping Meanwhile, Gadon assured that the filing of the complaint can’t be considered forum shopping considering Sereno is facing an impeachment complaint before the House of Representatives. “Yung impeachment case is about determining the fitness of a public official to retain her position or disposition. Ito naman violation ng batas ito (The criminal complaint filed is about violations of the law),” he explained. Since Sereno remains immune from suit until she gets impeached, Gadon said he only expects the DOJ to immediately act on his complaint. On record “Probably ang mangyayari dito ay pasasagutin lang siya (they might just ask Sereno to respond to the complaint) and it will be on record that the process of investigation will take place. And, then, it will be up to the DOJ if they will issue a resolution or not,” he said. Gadon pointed out that what is important is that the complaint was filed before the lapse of the prescriptive period that a case should be filed.
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno(Ali Vicoy | Manila Bulletin) Lawyer Lorenzo Gadon filed the complaint-affidavit before the Department of Justice (DOJ). The complaint accused the Chief Justice of having violated provisions of the Republic Act (RA) 6713 (Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees) and RA 3019 (the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act). Gadon had also filed the impeachment complaint against Serano before the House of Representatives last August. In the complaint filed Friday, Gadon said that Sereno had only filed SALNs on 1998, 2002, and 2006 during her tenure as law professor at the UP College of Law from 1986 up to 2006 – which was discovered during the impeachment proceedings at the House of Representatives. The lawyer noted he has received certifications from UP, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Judicial Bar Council which all certified that Sereno only filed three SALNs during her tenure as UP law professor. “This is a criminal act na dapat nyang panagutan (she should be held liable for),” Gadon told reporters. “Kaya ako ay nag-file ng case at kumpleto itong ebidensya na to (That’s why I filed the complaint and the evidence is complete),” he added. Requirement for position Because of the violations, Gadon pointed out Sereno shouldn’t have been accepted as a justice of the SC when she applied for the position. Sereno became a member of the SC in 2010 and became Chief Justice in 2012. “Iyan ang requirements sa Supreme Court na dapat mag submit ng 10 years na SALN (It is the requirement of the SC to submit your SALNs of 10 years)if you are a previous government employee,” he pointed out. “Kung tutuusin hindi siya qualified from the very start (If you look at that, she wasn’t qualified from the very start),” Gadon stressed. Not forum shopping Meanwhile, Gadon assured that the filing of the complaint can’t be considered forum shopping considering Sereno is facing an impeachment complaint before the House of Representatives. “Yung impeachment case is about determining the fitness of a public official to retain her position or disposition. Ito naman violation ng batas ito (The criminal complaint filed is about violations of the law),” he explained. Since Sereno remains immune from suit until she gets impeached, Gadon said he only expects the DOJ to immediately act on his complaint. On record “Probably ang mangyayari dito ay pasasagutin lang siya (they might just ask Sereno to respond to the complaint) and it will be on record that the process of investigation will take place. And, then, it will be up to the DOJ if they will issue a resolution or not,” he said. Gadon pointed out that what is important is that the complaint was filed before the lapse of the prescriptive period that a case should be filed.