Justices cleared to attend impeachment hearing vs Sereno

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 2:58 p.m.) — The Supreme Court has allowed three justices as well as court employees to appear before a House panel deliberating on the impeachment rap against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

SC spokesperson Ted Te, in a briefing with reporters, said that the court is "not requiring them, but granting them clearance if they wish to appear" at the House of Representatives hearing.

He added: "As regards testimony on administrative matters, those who are invited to testify on administrative matters may do so if they wish."

Te, however clarified, that only Justice Teresita De Castro "has been authorized to appear and testify before the House Justice Committee" on matters that pertain to to decisions on cases in the SC.

Te clarified that De Castro will discuss adjucative matters on the following matters:

• On the issuance of the [temporary restraining order] in the Senior Citizens cases and the exchange of communications between herself and the Chief Justice not on any matters pertaining to deliberations of the case on the merits
• On the clustering case involving the Judicial and Bar Council, Justice De Castro has been authorized by the court to discuss the merits of her main decision but not the deliberations that went into that decision
• On the case involving then Solicitor General now Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza, Justice De Castro is authorized to discuss the merits of her separate concurring opinion and again not the deliberation that went into the decision as well as her concurring opinion.

At Monday's hearing, Rep. Reynaldo Umali (Oriental Mindoro), chair of the House justice panel, read part of the letter sent by Associate Justice Teresita De Castro asking for more time to appear in the continuing impeachment proceeding.

De Castro's letter read: "May I request that I be given time to seek the clearance from the court during en banc on Tuesday November 28, to produce at the hearing all internal communications, memoranda, and other documents relevant to the allegations in the verified impeachment."

Umali said that Associate Justice Noel Tijam also sent a letter echoing De Castro's request.

Retired Associate Justice Arturo Brion also manifested before the House panel that he is seeking clearance from the SC en banc "on the use of internal documents in fora outside."

The justices were invited by the House panel to shed light on the allegations made by Gadon against Sereno, which includes a "falsified" temporary restraining order.

Complainant Larry Gadon last week admitted that he learned through Sereno's "falsified" through a journalist who was in direct contact with Associate Justice Teresita De Castro. However, the justice swiftly denied providing documents to Manila Times reporter Jomar Canlas. 

Canlas, who appeared before the House panel on Monday, also denied that his source was De Castro.

Gadon, a lawyer and vocal supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, scrambled to explain that he does not remember who his source was. He said that he had so many people coming forward to him that time.

The Hous Committee on Justice continues its hearings to examine if there is sufficient ground to impeach Sereno.

This is a developing story.