Oriental Mindoro Representative and House Committee on Justice Chairperson Reynaldo Umali hopes Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno will show up during the House committee hearing on the impeachment case against her.
Umali said if the chief magistrate will be absent, she will lose her chance to refute the accusations against her.
The impeachment hearing continues tomorrow (Wednesday) at 9:30 am in the House of Representatives.
Sereno was formally invited to appear in the proceeding.
She had asked the House panel to allow her lawyers to cross-examine the witnesses to be presented against her.
But the committee said only Sereno will be allowed to grill the witnesses.
Lawyer Larry Gadon previously filed the petition against Sereno.
He had accused Sereno of making decisions without the knowledge of the Supreme Court en banc.
He also criticized Sereno for supposedly purchasing a luxury vehicle and for allegedly being lavish during out-of-town trips, among others.