Judges, court employees call on Sereno to step down

Judges and court employees have come in unison, all calling for the resignation of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

The Philippine Judges Association, together with the Supreme Court Employees Association (SCEA), Supreme Court Assembly of Lawyer Employees (Scale), the Philippine Association of Court Employees (PACE), and the Sandiganbayan Employees Association (SEA) urged the top magistrate to give up her post “for the benefit of the entire Filipino Community”

In the joint statement read by SCEA President Erwin Ocson, it said “We, the entire force of the judiciary, composed of judges, officials and court employees under your leadership, are begging you, our beloved Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, to do the timely and necessary sacrifice for the institution that you gave so much time and love in these past years. We are calling for the benefit of the entire Filipino community, to step down as Chief Justice.”

The statement also said that Sereno’s impeachment case has tainted the integrity of the entire judiciary.

“The pending impeachment proceedings in recent months have put the entire judiciary in disrepute, thereby affecting the honor and integrity of its justices, judges, officials have pitted against each other resulting in a distressing atmosphere. This is aggravated by the fact that the Court en banc has taken cognizance of the petition for quo warranto and ordered her to file her comment thereto, instead of dismissing it outright,” it said.

The organizations also said that Sereno should just resign to spare herself from being judged as the first woman and youngest Chief Justice to be ousted in history.