DoJ starts probe on SC IT consultant; Senate urged to assert impeachment power over Sereno

THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) on Wednesday, May 2, began its investigation on the Supreme Court’s (SC) allegedly anomalous hiring of information and technology (IT) consultant Helen Perez-Macasaet.
The case stems from the complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo G. Gadon, who claims that only two out of Ms. Perez-Macasaet’s eight contracts with the SC passed through the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), while the rest were handled and renewed by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno.
The impeachment case against Ms. Sereno before Congress was also filed by Mr. Gadon.
Ms. Perez-Macasaet, who was represented by her legal counsel, was given by Assistant State Prosecutor Gilmarie Fe S. Pacamarra until May 9 to submit her counter-affidavit.
The co-respondents in the case, lawyers Ma. Lourdes B. Oliveros and Michael Ocampo of the SC BAC, submitted their counter-affidavits through their legal counsels.
The state prosecutor gave the complainant until May 17 to submit his reply on the counter-affidavits. A rejoinder is set on May 29.
SERENO SUPPORT
In a related development, advocacy group Coalition for Justice (CFJ) on Wednesday urged the Senate to assert its exclusive power to impeach government officials and pass a resolution asking the Supreme Court to suspend its quo warranto case against Ms. Sereno.
“We ask the Senate to call for a special session before May 11 and/or to pass a resolution asking the Supreme Court to suspend its Quo Warranto proceedings and await the resolution of the impeachment,” the group said in a letter addressed to senators, citing reports that the SC plans to decide on the case on May 11.
CFJ said the May 11 special session of the SC was meant “to pre-empt and render moot the transmittal of the articles of impeachment to Congress.”
The letter to senators also contained a petition signed by over 300 individuals denouncing the quo warranto case, including former vice president Teofisto T. Guingona, Jr., Senators Francis N. Pangilinan and Antonio F. Trillanes IV, Makabayan lawmakers, human rights advocates, artists, and leaders of civil society groups. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio and Camille A. Aguinaldo