Constitution not considered ‘very seriously’ — Sereno

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno (Photo from Infoqat)

MANILA — Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno is worried that some branches of the government is not taking the Constitution “very seriously.”

“Our deep concern is that sometimes, our Constitution is not being considered very seriously in the discussions that are going on in other branches of government, and maybe even by some sectors,” Sereno said.

She made the statement during the sidelines of the Independence Day celebration at the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City, yesterday.

Though the chief justice did not made clear which issues she is referring to, her statement came following attempts of lawmakers to push for the amendment of the Constitution’s economic provision.

This is also after their movement to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which will be the basis for the creation of a Bangsamoro entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Sereno also added that the Supreme Court will make sure that all the laws passed by the Congress are in line with the 1987 Constitution.

“Our duty is to ensure that everything that comes out is always in accordance with the Constitution… The challenge for the SC is always to look at the Constitution intently,” she said.

She also vowed to maintain transparency in the Supreme Court through movements that will allow the public to see how they can be trusted.

Sereno noted that the court decided to release their summary statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN)  as a proof of their dedication to a transparent government.

“(This is) to demonstrate to our people, especially in the judiciary, that we can be trusted,” she said.

“The summary (of SALNs) alone is not the end of our desire to be transparent. We have been looking at the processes in court that we can open more to our people. We shall be unrolling more of these as the days come,” she added.