(Updated, 4:40 p.m. and 7 p.m.)

No member of the House of Representatives endorsed the first impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Wednesday for alleged culpable violations of the 1987 Constitution by allegedly bypassing the Supreme Court en banc.

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Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) chairperson Dante Jimenez and Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution President Eligio Mallari led the filing of the impeachment complaint against Sereno at the House Secretary General’s office.

A staunch ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, Jimenez accused Sereno of allegedly acting like a “dictator” and not respecting the Supreme Court en banc.

“Ang nakakatakot po dito, nagkakaroon tayo ng diktador na chief justice, one who does not consult her own peers. This is very dangerous in a democratic country,” Jimenez said.

The complainants’ counsel Manuelito Luna said Sereno violated her sworn duty to respect the Constitution by not consulting with her own peers in the high court.

“Though she is the leader of the court, ang nagdedecide ay the court en banc. That is dishonoring the Constitution, and a violation of her sworn duty to uphold the Constitution,” Luna said.

The VACC went to the lower House to file an impeachment complaint. The problem was, it was lodged at the Secretary General’s office without an endorsement of a member of Congress.

This means the complaint may not be considered sufficient in form by the House justice committee which will deliberate on the form and substance of the complaint.

A verified endorsement of a House member is required before an impeachment complaint may be considered filed before the lower House.

Jimenez barked at reporters that he does not care if the impeachment complaint has no endorsers, as long as the VACC has the courage to go against the Chief Justice.

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“Is this not enough for us to take courage against the Chief Justice? Kami po sa VACC, matagal naming sinisigaw sa inyo, rotten, mabagal at corrupt ang ating judicial system (we have long been telling you that our judicial system is rotten, slow and corrupt). Now what do you want us to do?” Jimenez said.

“Whether they don’t endorse it or not, I don’t care. But look at the merits, pwede po ba (can you)?” he added.

The grounds for impeachment against Sereno in the VACC complaint are:

– Sereno culpably violated the Constitution for issuing an administrative order creating the 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

– Sereno culpably violated the constitutional provision that appointive government officials shall not hold another public post unless provided for by law, in appointing Atty. Solomon Lumba as her staff head II

– Sereno culpably violated the Constitution for appointing Atty. Brenda Jay Mendoza as Philippine Mediation Center Office Chief by mere memorandum which was not referred to the court en banc for its consideration

– Sereno culpably violated the Constitution for granting to members of her staff travel allowances for foreign travel charges to the Supreme Court funds without court en banc approval

– Sereno betrayed her trust through inexcusable negligence for sitting on the applications for the posts of Supreme Court deputy clerk of court and chief attorney which have been vacant for three years and eight months and the two positions for assistant court administrator which have been vacant for four years and six months

Lawyer Larry Gadon also plans to file an impeachment complaint against Sereno later Wednesday, this time involving an alleged Toyota Land Cruiser bought by the Supreme Court for the Chief Justice at P5.1 million.

Gadon later told reporters he would wait for more endorsers from the lower House before filing the impeachment complaint, to avoid the same mistake of the first impeachment complaint filers. IDL

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