“Tapos na ang boksing.”

This was how a smiling Atty. Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon, complainant in the impeachment case against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, described Wednesday’s resumption of the House justice committee’s impeach hearing where a Supreme Court (SC) associate justice testified versus the chief magistrate.

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“I am very happy because I’m more than vindicated because what Honorable (Associate) Justice (Teresita) De Castro has said in her testimony confirmed everything that I have stated in my complaint,” Gadon said in an ambush interview as the House justice panel went on a 30-minute recess.

“And not only that, she even clarified deeper into the incidents involving the creation of the RCAO (Regional Court Administrative Office) and the JDO (Judiciary Decentralized Office) and she has further clarified the incident which points out to the fact that Chief Justice Sereno has indeed committed a culpable violation of the Constitution by arrogating upon herself the powers of the Supreme Court as a collegial body,” he added.

Gadon also expressed confidence that the next hearings on the impeachment case would prove his other allegations against Sereno.

“Malinaw na malinaw na ‘yan. In fact by this time baka inatake na sa puso si justice Sereno nyan,” he said.

“In fact sinasabi ko nga, tapos na ‘yung boksing eh… I’m sure impeached na sya dito,” he added.

Appearing before the hearing, De Castro said Sereno issued on Nov, 27, 2012 Administrative Order No. 175-2012 creating the JDO, reopening the post of RCAO-7 Associate Justice, and appointing Geraldine Faith Econg as its head.

De Castro said the chief magistrate issued the orders “without getting the approval of the Supreme Court en banc.”

But Sereno’s camp immediately refuted De Castro’s allegation by saying that “the creation of said office, its budget as well as the designation of its staff, had already been approved and delineated in earlier resolutions of the Court.”

Sereno’s lawyer Jojo Lacanilao also said Sereno, who does the note-taking during en banc deliberations and the drafting of resolutions, did not falsify the administrative orders.

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“Accurate po ‘yun according to her understanding of the decision nung panahon na ‘yun on the RCAO,” he said. “So wala po syang finake dun kasi kung finake po ‘yun, lahat po ng justices sana nagreklamo.”

READ: Sereno camp: SC en banc approved regional office

These allegations, Lacanilao said, could not be used as grounds for the impeachment of Sereno. /kga

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