(Eagle News) — What are you afraid of?
This was the message of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, who has rejected calls for her to appear before impeachment proceedings against her.
“Bakit ka naman takot humarap doon? Ano ba kinakatakot mo?” Alvarez told reporters on the sidelines of a judicial forum on Tuesday.
Alvarez made the pronouncement after Sereno insisted–through letters sent to the House justice committee– on what she said was her right to be represented by lawyers during the proceedings, which are set to resume on Wednesday.
The committee is set to determine whether there is probable cause for the charges of undeclared wealth, among others, by lawyer Larry Gadon against her.
“Dapat alalahanin na yung mga abogado na hindi sila yung in-i-impeach. Hindi sila yung subject ng impeachment complaint,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez also took offense at Sereno’s pronouncement her camp was looking at the possibility the Speaker, whom she allegedly testified against in the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. Inc. case, had a hand in the impeachment complaint.
He said she “should not include him there.”
“Ginagawa mo pa akong dahilan e hindi naman ako kasama sa impeachment mo. Hindi ako ang inireklamo,” he added.