SC junking of Sereno’s bid to reverse ouster expected: solons

The Supreme Court’s decision to deny the petition of ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for a reversal of its quo warranto ruling came as no surprise for several lawmakers at the House of Representatives. (Photo by Supreme Court of the Philippines)

MANILA — The Supreme Court’s decision to deny the petition of ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for a reversal of its quo warranto ruling came as no surprise for several lawmakers at the House of Representatives.

In an interview on Tuesday, House justice committee chairman Reynaldo Umali said it was already expected that the High Court would uphold its decision granting the quo warranto petition filed by the Office of Solicitor General (OSG) which nullified Sereno’s appointment as chief magistrate.

Umali said the impeachment case against Sereno would be deemed moot and academic.

“I feel so relieved that I need not prepare anymore for the Senate trial. The country is spared of this very divisive issue,” Umali said.

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.

Umali said the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) should implement stricter rules in its requirements to prevent unqualified candidates from entering the judiciary.

“I guess we will have to be stricter this time around so that hindi na makakalusot yung mga ganung instances (to prevent such instances) where the requirements are not complied with and yet they (candidates) are included in the shortlist,” Umali said.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, for his part, urged the public to respect the SC decision, noting that the High Court is mandated by the Constitution as the final arbiter of legal and constitutional questions.

“The Supreme Court has spoken. It has affirmed its ruling on the quo warranto petition declaring as void the appointment of former Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said the impeachment proceedings, which were deemed moot and academic, would now be consigned to the archives.

With the finality of the SC decision, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas said the impeachment case against Sereno would be dismissed since she is no longer a public officer subject to impeachment proceedings.

“Without any impeachable officer, there can be no impeachment proceedings,” Fariñas said.

Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao said the verdict is not surprising as the SC already “took the bolder step of violating the Constitution” when it favored the quo warranto petition. It was earlier argued that the proper process of removing a justice of the High Court is through impeachment.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate echoed Casilao’s remark, noting that the refusal of the “biased” associate justices to inhibit from the quo warranto case led to Sereno’s ouster.

“Ito ay isang maitim na pahina sa kasaysayan ng Korte Suprema (This is a dark chapter in the history of the Supreme Court),” Zarate said.