(Eagle News) — An impeachment complaint was filed on Wednesday against Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution Inc. included in their complaint accusations leveled by Associate Justice Teresita de Castro against the Chief Justice, in a five-page memorandum sent to the other magistrates on July 10.
The groups said Sereno had “culpably violated” the Constitution after she issued an administrative order creating a “new judiciary decentralized office and reopening the regional court administration office in Western Visayas in the absence of an authority from the court en banc.”
The two groups said Sereno also violated the constitutional provision that “appointed government officials shall not hold another public post unless provided for by the law” when she designated Atty.Solomon Lumba as her staff head, and also culpably violated the Constitution when she appointed Atty. Brenda Jay Mendoza as Philippine Media Center Office chief “by mere memorandum.”
“(This) was not referred to the court en banc for its consideration,” they said.
In their complaint, the groups also called out Sereno for “granting to members of her staff travel allowances for foreign travel charged to the Supreme Court funds without court en banc approval.”
They also said she “betray(ed) (the public) trust through inexcusable negligence” for “sitting on the applications for the posts of Supreme Court deputy clerk of court and chief attorney..” and the two positions for assistant court administrator.
The groups said the first two positions have been vacant for three years and eight months, and the administrative positions for four years and six months.
According to the two groups, several congressmen would endorse their complaint.