A lawmaker on Sunday, May 13, said members of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) who included Maria Lourdes Sereno in the list of candidates for chief justice, may face legal charges.
House Committee on Justice chair Reynaldo Umali, currently an ex officio member of the JBC, said the 2012 members of the JBC may face “dereliction of duty” for dismissing Sereno’s failure to submit her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
“Dereliction of duty ‘yan. Isipin mo nagkagulo ang buong sambayanang Pilipino. Naging issue, na-divide ang taumbayan dahil hindi puwede daw iyong quo warranto, dapat impeachment daw,” Umali told Super Radyo dzBB.
“Isipin mo nagkagulo ang sambayanang Pilipino dahil sa ginawa nila (JBC members). Lahat ‘yan mga appointees, puwedeng matanggal po ‘yan,” he added.
Aside from being slapped with administrative charges, Umali said the officials may also be impeached from their posts.
“Kung merong impeachable officer diyan, ay baka ma-impeach din sila,” he added.
The ex officio members of the JBC during Sereno’s application include former Iloilo representative Niel Tupas Jr. and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
“Dapat kumilos ang Korte Suprema dahil anyway, may supervision naman sila over JBC. Imbestigahan nila ‘yan. Ano ang ginawa n’yo at pinalusot ninyo ‘yan? At ‘yan ba ay talagang nasa proseso lang ‘yang pagpapalusot n’yo?” Umali said.
