MANILA, Philippines – Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio proved Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno wrong on Friday, March 23.

He showed he was able to submit all 10 required Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) when he applied to be chief justice in 2012 – contrary to claims of Sereno that 14 of the chief justice applicants in 2012, including Carpio, “failed to submit to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) one or some of their SALNs.”

Carpio requested a certification from the JBC and sent the media a copy. According to the document, the JBC has on file Carpio’s SALN for a period of 10 years, from 2001 to 2011.

Sereno’s non-submission of all required SALNs is the basis of a quo warranto petition that seeks to remove her via a route separate from impeachment. The petition seeks to void her appointment as Chief Justice.

Context. Sereno said in her comment to the quo warranto petition pending before the Supreme Court (SC) that Carpio did not submit all his SALNs.

The JBC certification, however, said: “This is to further certify that our Office has on file electronic copies of his Honor’s SALN from 1992-1994.” 

JUST IN: Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio sends to media a certification that the JBC has on file his SALNs from 2001-2011 and 1992-1994. Context: Sereno said Carpio among CJ nominees who did not submit all SALNs to JBC @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/eaDuPEWank

— Lian Buan (@lianbuan) March 23, 2018

The JBC required 10 years’ worth of SALNs from applicants who have been in public service for that long a period.

Sereno worked as a University of the Philippines (UP) professor from 1986 to 2006 but has only 3 SALNs on record: 1998, 2002 and 2006.

Sereno said she’s looking for the missing ones, but also raised the argument that she wasn’t required to file SALNs in the years that she was on leave from UP without pay.

Why this matters. It refutes the claim of Sereno that Carpio did not submit all of his SALNs. He submitted the required 10, plus another two.

That Carpio, the acting Chief Justice, had to request a certification that was sent to media indicates a clear intent to prove Sereno wrong.

In the course of the House justice committee hearings, Carpio never once testified and even turned down an invitation for him to appear before the committee.

In the heated en banc session where justices pressured Sereno to go on leave, insiders said Carpio was among those who didn’t say much as opposed to other justices who were very vocal about asking the Chief Justice to go on leave. – Rappler.com