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[av_heading heading=’Resign, Palace tells Sereno’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”][/av_heading]
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Tuesday, November 7, 2017
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MANILA – Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno should resign to spare the judiciary from “further damage,” Malacañang said yesterday.
Sereno was facing an impeachment case over allegations of mismanagement in the affairs of the Supreme Court, among others.
“I call upon Chief Justice Sereno to really consider resigning if only to spare the institution from further damage,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque told a press briefing in Malacañang.
“I don’t think the judiciary can survive another decision to remove another sitting chief justice,” the spokesperson added.
Sereno’s predecessor, the late Chief Justice Renato Corona, was removed via impeachment.
The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, found him guilty of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution for failing to fully disclose his wealth.
Asked whether his call for Sereno to resign reflects the sentiment of President Rodrigo Duterte, Roque said “of course.”
An outgoing member of the House of Representatives, Roque – a member of the justice committee – believes the allegations against Sereno were supported by “convincing evidence.”
Roque was reacting to Sereno’s statement that there was a “resurgence of political forces” that “threatened and harassed” the independence of the judiciary.
The presidential spokesman denied this. “She only has herself to blame.”
Sereno’s camp maintained that the chief magistrate would not leave her post.
“As previously declared, resignation has never been an option,” said lawyer Carlo Cruz, one of Sereno’s spokespersons.
Sereno needed to face the impeachment proceeding at the House of Representatives “precisely to preserve the dignity and independence of both the Supreme Court and the Office of the Chief Justice,” Cruz said.
“She has done nothing to ‘damage’ the institution, and she has been doing everything to strengthen it,” he added. (ABS-CBN News and GMA News)
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