DOJ presents Sereno-graft probe
MANILA, Philippines – The criminal charges filed against expelled main judge Ma. Lourdes Sereno has to be handled by the Office of the Ombudsman, the Ministry of Justice (DOJ) has said.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra yesterday announced that the complaint for the DOJ was filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, who was also a complainant in the failed accusation of Sereno in the House of Representatives, has been forwarded to the office of Ombudsman Samuel Martires for a preliminary investigation.
"Because it is a graft case, it has to be investigated by the ombudsman," he said in a text message.
Gadon filed a separate complaint with the DOJ against Sereno last January because it allegedly failed to file its capital, liabilities and net worth (SALN) for 17 years at the University of the Philippines College of Law. 19659004] He filed the complaint when Sereno was still Chief Justice and enjoys immunity from criminal investigation as an accusing official
Gadon accused Sereno of violating Republic Act No. 671 3 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Civil Servants and Employees and RA No. 3019 or the Law on the Control of Animals and Forbidden.
Based on the complaint, Sereno RA violated 6713 when she filed only three SALNs during her stint. as a professor at the UP College of Law from 1986 to 2006 prior to her appointment as a member of the Supreme Court (SC) in 2012.
Gadon claimed that Sereno had also violated RA 3019, whereby "every public official is obliged to truthful and detailed sworn overview of assets and liabilities, including an overview of the amounts and sources of income, the amounts of personal and family expenses and the amount of income tax paid. "
Gadon attached certifications of the UP, the office of the Ombudsman , and the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to prove that Sereno does not comply with the mandatory submission of SALN & # 39; s.
Based on UP & # 39; s certification, it only registered Sereno & # 39; s 2002 SALN, while the Ombudsman certified only SALN from 1998. The JBC, for its part, stated that on her application for SC associated dish had only submitted its SALN of 2006.
Gadon explained that he filed the complaint when Sereno was still given immunity from the suit to defeat the prescriptive period when filing
Suspended lawyer Eligio Mallari and now Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner Manny Luna filed a similar complaint last February against Sereno for the Ombudsman for their group, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption.
Sereno has been expelled from the highest court, she can now be investigated for transplantation and criminal charges.
But while the DOJ refused to deal with the charges against Sereno, it began its preliminary investigation into Gadon's individual transplant costs against the IT consultant Helen Macasaet and Sereno's staff members Ma. Lourdes Oliveros and Michael Ocampo in connection with the contract with Macasaet.
However, the DOJ should forward its findings at the discretion of the Ombudsman, who has exclusive jurisdiction over transplant cases for the Sandigan Bayan.
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