MANILA, Philippines — Impeachment accuser Larry Gadon has made good on his threat to file criminal raps against Supreme Court employees if Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno would not resign by March 1.
On Monday, Gadon filed two separate criminal raps against several court employees who appeared before the House of Representatives justice panel hearing on his impeachment complaint against Sereno.
The following court personnel face graft and corruption and violation of Government Procurement Reform Act raps over the hiring of SC's former IT consultant Helen Perez-Macasaet for the modernization project of the high court.
- Lawyer Ma. Lourdes E.B. Oliveros, Chief Justice Staff Head, Office of the Chief Justice
- Helen Perez-Macasaet
- Lawyer Michael B. Ocampo, Court Attorney VI, Office of the Chief Justice
READ: SC tech consultant defends credentials before House panel
A separate corruption complaint was also filed against Deputy Clerk of Court en banc Anna-Li Papa-Gombio and lawyer Jocelyn Fabian, who works at the Office of the Chief Justice, over their involvement in the delay of pension release for retired employees of the court.
Both complaints emanated from the developments at the House hearing on the determination of probable cause of Gadon's impeachment complaint against Sereno.
Last February 22, Gadon said that he has "finally decided to file appropriate criminal charges against SC officials who allowed themselves to be used and committed various irregularities just to bow to the wishes of Sereno."
READ: Gadon gives ultimatum to Sereno: Resign or I'll sue SC officials
He added that "knowing fully well" that his complaints "could end the careers" of the said public officials, he said that he is giving Sereno a "chance" to save them.
Sereno, however, remains unaffected by various calls for her resignation and insisted that her detractors should give her day in court to tell her story.
The chief justice has been on leave from office starting March 1. She said that this is in preparation for her looming impeachment trial at the Senate.