COURT OF Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Remedios S. Fernando claimed yesterday that Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno asked the CA to defy the show cause order of the House of Representatives in relation to the case of the six officials of the Ilocos Norte provincial government. In yesterday’s hearing of the House committee on justice on the impeachment case filed by lawyer Lorenzo G. Gadon against Ms. Sereno, Ms. Fernando said that the chief justice “advised the three (CA) justices (Stephen Cruz, Edwin Sorongon and Nina Valenzuela) to file a petition before the Supreme Court with a TRO (temporary restraining order) at siya na daw ang bahala (and she will take care of it). And everybody was silent about it.” Lawyer Jojo Lacanilao, spokesperson of the chief magistrate, denied the allegation. In a statement, Mr. Lacanilao said Ms. Sereno “did not advise [CA Presiding Justice Andres Reyes, Jr.] what particular legal remedy or petition the three CA justices should take. Neither did she assure Justice Reyes of a favorable outcome on such a petition by telling him that she would take care of that petition in the Supreme Court.” Mr. Lacanilao also stressed that the Ms. Sereno inhibited from the case of the “Ilocos 6” when their case was heard before the Supreme Court. — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

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