(Eagle News) – The Judicial and Bar Council issued a certification that Acting Supreme Court Chief Justice Antonio Carpio had submitted all the required Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) contrary to the claim of on-leave Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
Sereno, in her comment to the quo warranto petition filed against her before the tribunal, claimed that Carpio was among the associate justices and other lawyers who were listed as applicants for the position of Chief Justice in 201s, but had failed to submit complete SALNs like her.
But the JBC certification issued on March 23, upon the request of acting SC Chief Justice Carpio, said that this was not true, as it had on file photocopies of Carpio’s SALN from 2001 to 2011, as well as the electronic copies of his SALN from 1992 to 1994.
“This is to certify that our Office has on file photocopies of his Honor’s Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) from 2001 – 2011,” stated the JBC certification signed by Court Attorney IV Jennifer Cabrillo-Salvador.
“This is to further certify that our Office has on file electronic copies of his Honor’s SALN from 1992 – 1994,” it further said.
“This Certification is being issued upon the written request of Hon. Antonio T. Carpio addressed to the Executive Committee,” it added.
The JBC certification was signed by JBC Executive Committee Chairperson former Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Catral Mendoza.
The JBC certification was released to the media following Sereno’s claim in her comment to the Supreme Court that the submission of all SALNs for those in government was a requirement which the JBC can waive.
-Sereno’s claim-
A press statement released by Sereno’s camp that explained what was contained in her SC comment claimed that the JBC had allegedly waived the requirement for the submission of complete SALNs “not only for Sereno but also for 13 other applicants who had failed to submit their complete SALNs to the JBC.”
“These include Associate Justices Roberto Abad, Arturo Brion, Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Deans Raul Pangalangan and Amado Valdez, as well as Congressman Ronaldo Zamora. Except for the two deans, all the others were shortlisted together with Sereno,” Sereno’s press statement claimed.
The statement was issued on Monday, March 19, the same day that Sereno’s lawyers filed her comment to the quo warranto petition filed against her by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
In her comment submitted to the Supreme Court, Sereno claimed that Carpio along with the other applicants for the position of Chief Justice “failed to submit to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) one or some of their SALNs.”
Solicitor General Jose Calida had earlier asked the high tribunal to invalidate Sereno’s appointment as Chief Justice in 2012 because of her failure to submit the required complete SALNs, particularly for the years 1986 to 2006, when she served as professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law.
He said Sereno violated “Section 17 article 11 on the accountability of public officers with regards to the submission of SALN” and Republic Act 3109 which also requires SALN submissions by public officers.
“The blatant disregard by respondent Sereno to comply with the requirements of the law and the Constitution proves her lack of integrity; hence, she is unlawfully holding the position of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,” Calida explained.
“Unfortunately for respondent Sereno she failed the test of integrity when she failed to file more or less 10 SALNs,” Calida said.
(Eagle News Service)