Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday stood by embattled Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s side, slamming the quo warranto petition against the chief magistrate.
Calling the petition a “final blow to the ideal of justice,” Robredo said that the fight against it is not just for Sereno to bear but for everyone.
“As your duly-elected Vice President, I took an oath to defend the Constitution. You can count on me to do everything in my power to right this wrong,” the Vice President said.
Robredo added that the quo warranto case “weaponizes the courts and… can be used as a weapon of intimidation, to kill dissent.”
She also called on the public to defend the judiciary.
“It was formed to give protection to the ordinary citizens, not to be used as a weapon of those in power,” she said in Filipino.
The quo warranto petition that questions the validity of Sereno’s appointment as Chief Justice was filed on March 5 by Solictor General Jose Calida, who said that Sereno is “unlawfully holding” her post due to her alleged failure to file her Statements of Asset, Liabilities, and Net Worth.