Says they are covered by confidentiality clause contained in SC internal rules, among others
(Eagle News) — The Supreme Court Clerk of Court on Wednesday declined to provide the Senate House panel hearing the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno copies of some of the documents the committee subpoenaed earlier, and other specific information, but some lawmakers did not take it sitting down.
Atty. Felipa Anama said that she was not in a position to submit to the panel the letter submitted by Sereno in response to Associate Justice Teresita de Castro’s letter seeking an explanation for the supposed altering of a draft temporary restraining order the associate justice penned on the proclamation of the senior citizens’ party-list in 2016.
Anama said this was because Sereno’s letter was a “dear colleague” letter.
She said based on the internal rules of the Supreme Court, she was also prohibited from submitting to the panel the minutes on the raffle of cases on July 19, 2017, and from saying to whom the transfer of Maute-related cases was raffled.
But Rep. Rey Umali, chair of the panel, said that if resource speakers were invited to panel hearings, they “are expected to come prepared when they come..”
“And if you are not prepared, I’m sure you have people, your staff. (The Supreme Court) is a big organization. This information can be obtained,” he said.
Rep. Bong Crisologo, for his part, noted that the internal rules that specify that Supreme Court “administrative cases” be subject to the cloak of confidentiality do not apply to the July 19 minutes nor to the information being asked by the panel in connection with the transfer of venue of Maute cases as a decision has already been rendered on the matter.
“Academic na iyan kaya di na kailangang pagawayan ng two branches of government,” he said.
Umali added that Sereno already admitted to being the member-in-charge of the case on the transfer of venue of Maute cases in her verified answer submitted to the House panel.
“Kanina ang cinoconfirm naman, di naman hinihingi pangalan kung kanino naraffle…You are not revealing who it is or who it was except that we’re just trying to isolate the fact that it is not the Chief Justice who was the member-in-charge. Di tinatanong sino yun,” Umali added.
But Anama stood her ground.
“Sa 14 (justices), mamili na po kayo. Hindi kay Justice (Noel) Tijam,” Anama replied.
Lawmakers appeared unsatisfied with her answer.
After another series of exchanges, Umali suspended the hearing.