House may invite Justice Antonio Carpio again to impeachment probe

MANILA, Philippines — The chairman of the House committee on justice indicated yesterday that Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio might be invited again to the hearing on the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali told reporters that he would discuss with his committee on Monday Carpio’s letter refusing its invitation and “decide what to do.”

“As far as I am concerned, my questions to Justice Carpio were already addressed. But I will ask my colleagues if they still have questions to him,” he said.

Umali said the committee would issue a second invitation if some members so desire.

“He informed us in his letter that he has no personal knowledge on the allegations against the Chief Justice,” he said.

A committee member, who did not want to be identified, said there is no use issuing a second invitation to Carpio.

“Even if he shows up, he will just reiterate what is contained in his letter. We cannot force him to speak on a matter he knows nothing about. We cannot ask him to speculate,” he said.

The justice committee will resume its hearing on Monday.

Umali reiterated his desire to terminate the impeachment hearings before Congress goes on its seven-week Holy Week recess on March 24.

“We are on track in our timeline, unless this is upset by con-ass,” he said, referring to the plan of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to convene the House and the Senate as a constituent assembly (con-ass) to draft a new Constitution that would shift the nation to the federal system.

Alvarez has said Congress would start working on the envisioned federal charter this month so it could be submitted to the people for ratification in a plebiscite that would be held together with the barangay elections in May.