Only Associate Justice De Castro allowed to speak on “adjudicative” matters
By Moira Encina and Erwin Temperante
Eagle News Service
(Eagle News)– The Supreme Court en banc has voted to allow justices and other personnel to attend House justice panel hearings on the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
But SC spokesperson Theodore Te said the en banc–which voted unanimously without Sereno— allowed Associate Justice Noel Tijam and the others, except Associate Justice Teresita de Castro, to speak only on administrative matters in the hearings meant to determine whether there was probable cause for the 27 allegations against the Chief Justice.
Te said of those invited, only De Castro was allowed to speak on “adjudicative matters.”
Even then, he said the en banc said she was only allowed to speak on three matters: the issuance of the temporary restraining order whose draft Larry Gadon said had been tampered with by Sereno, and De Castro’s communication with the Chief Justice; the clustering case of the Judicial and Bar Council; and then-Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza’s case.
He said she could not discuss anything pertaining to the deliberation done by the SC in those cases.
Earlier, panel chair Rep. Rey Umali said those invited would be given an allotted time to make their appearance so their time would not be wasted.