Palace wishes Sereno good luck as ‘private citizen’

FILE: Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this comment after the SC rejected Sereno’s motion for reconsideration to reverse its decision granting the quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida against her appointment as chief magistrate. (PCOO photo)

MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday wished ousted Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno good luck as a private citizen.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this comment after the SC rejected Sereno’s motion for reconsideration to reverse its decision granting the quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida against her appointment as chief magistrate.

“Tapos na ang pagiging Chief Justice ni Meilou Sereno. We wish her good luck in her everyday life as a private citizen,” Roque said in a press conference in Cotabato City.

Citing the court decision as final and executory, Roque appealed to the people to respect the decision of the highest court of the land.

“The Palace knew that many are not in favor of the decision but in our democratic system, Supreme Court is the final arbiter of all legal controversies,” Roque said.

“So like it or hate it, we have to succumb to the decision of the Supreme Court. That is now final and executory decision,” he added.

Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte will respect and will implement the SC’s ruling “because the President is the implementor of the law and the Supreme Court decisions”.

He said the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) will now start the selection process for the next SC chief justice.

“The President has to choose from a shortlist to be submitted by the JBC, the Judicial and Bar Council,” Roque said.

Roque said the President does not have any idea who will be included in the list.

Meanwhile, a lawmaker said the the plan to file impeachment complaints against the eight SC justices, who voted to grant a quo warranto petition ousting Sereno, will push through.

“We will now proceed to the filing of the impeachment complaints and hopefully, we’ll have it filed as soon as we finish compiling pertinent facts relevant to the individual charges against each of the eight justices,” said Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin, a member of the independent bloc called Magnificent 7.

Those who voted to grant the quo warranto petition against Sereno were Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Samuel Martires, Andres Reyes Jr., Alexander Gesmundo, and Noel Tijam who penned the Court’s decision.

Villarin said the impeachment cases against the eight magistrates would be based on the ground of culpable violation of the Constitution, noting that Congress has the sole power to remove a chief justice through impeachment.

Also a possible ground is betrayal of public trust since the six associate justices who testified in the impeachment proceedings against Sereno did not inhibit from the quo warranto case, he noted.

Voting 8-6, the High Court’s May 11 decision ruled that Sereno’s failure to submit her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) as law professor at the University of the Philippines would mean “her integrity was not established at the time of her application,” making her ineligible to hold her position.