Sereno, Bautista impeach raps move forward

MANILA, Philippines — The impeachment complaints against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Commission on Elections Chair Andres Bautista advances as House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez referred the cases to the Committee on Rules.

Majority Floor Leader Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas heads the committee.

The Speaker has 10 days to send an impeachment complaint to the rules committee, according to House rules, for it to be included in the order of business and get referred to the Committee on Justice. The justice committee, which handles impeachment complaints, has 60 days to conduct hearings and submit a report.

On August 30, 25 congressmen endorsed an impeachment complaint against Sereno filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon.

A second impeachment complaint with endorsements from 16 solons was filed on Monday by Dante Jimenez of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and Eligio Mallari of the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution.

Jimenez and Mallari submitted an impeachment complaint earlier in August. However, the complaint did not gain any endorsement at the time.

The grounds for the impeachment cases against the chief justice include culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption, other high crimes and betrayal of public trust.

The cases alleged that Sereno, among other things, used public funds to finance her supposed lavish lifestyle, misdeclared in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth declaration and falsified of court documents.

Meanwhile, former Negros Oriental congressman Jacinto Paras and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio filed the impeachment complaint against Bautista for his alleged P1-billion ill-gotten wealth.

It gained endorsements from three members of the Lower House.

READ: Impeach rap vs Bautista filed, endorsed

Sereno and Bautista are not the only government officials in President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration facing threats of removal from office. Impeachment complaints were also filed against Vice President Leni Robredo and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio.

The president himself was likewise threatened with impeachment bid, which was dismissed by the Congress.