(Eagle News) — The camp of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said on Sunday that it would be “highly irregular” for Associate Justice Teresita de Castro to take the witness stand, especially against the head of the judiciary..
“Medyo kinikilabutan po ako. Mahirap naman po ata na ‘yung hukom o yung huwes, biglang nagiging testigo,” lawyer Winnie Salumbides, a spokesperson of Sereno, said, adding that it was “unconventional.”
Salumbides made the pronouncement following a House justice panel decision to summon De Castro to impeachment proceedings against the Supreme Court justice.
In a previous hearing held by the House committee on justice, lawyer Larry Gadon, who filed the impeachment complaint against Sereno, said De Castro had personal knowledge of the Supreme Court chief justice’s alleged tampering of a draft temporary restraining order.
The act was one of 27 offenses Gadon said Sereno committed, acts which he said were tantamount to betrayal of public trust, corruption, other high crimes and culpable violation of the Constitution.
“As a lawyer, I find it highly irregular for a magistrate, for a Supreme Court justice to go down and take the witness stand.
He added, however, that they had no “fear” their defense would be affected should this take place.
“Wala kaming makitang dahilan para mabahala,” he said.
During last week’s hearing, Gadon said he found out about the supposedly tampered draft TRO from a reporter who had spoken to De Castro.
De Castro, however, issued a statement saying she never fed any information to Canlas.
