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Sereno spokesman to Duterte spokesman: Resignation not an option
FILE: Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno (Photo by Supreme Court of the Philippines)
Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s spokesperson Carlo Cruz responds to the calls of Malacañang’s Harry Roque on Monday.
“As previously declared, resignation has never been an option,” Cruz said in a text message to the media. “She has done nothing to damage the institution,” he added.
According to Cruz, instead of “damaging,” the Chief Magistrate is actually doing everything to “strengthen” the SC.
“The Chief Justice needs to face the impeachment proceeding precisely to preserve the dignity and independence of both the Supreme Court and the Office of the Chief Justice,” Cruz said.
Cruz’s statement was in response to Roque’s comment in a press briefing on Monday saying, “I call upon Chief Justice Sereno to really consider resigning only to spare the institution from any further damage.
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(Read: Malacañang urges Sereno to resign)
President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman, however, clarified that he was only commenting as a senior lawyer and a law professor. As part of the Executive branch, it should not be taken as an interference with the Judiciary branch.
“The best way to protect the institution is to forego the trial altogether,” Roque said.
Roque also said, “The President is still an officer of the court as a lawyer. He has taken an oath to uphold his duties as officer of the court and crucial to that duty to uphold the independence of what really is the weakest branch of government although we consider as coequal branch of government.”
It can be recalled that Roque was asked to comment on Sereno’s statement which was also heard on Monday, during her keynote address in the 8th International Conference on the Training of the Judiciary.
Sereno mentioned that there is a ‘resurgence of political forces threatening and harassing the independence of the judiciary.’
“The delicate balance require to properly evaluate conflicting positions and competing interest can only be sustained by a wise and mature judiciary that is unafraid to face the challenges of increasingly changing landscapes,” she added.
Sereno is facing accusations on not declaring some of her earnings in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), and for allegedly using government funds for an extravagant lifestyle.
Her camp maintains its stand that all claims against her are baseless.
