By ADRIAN STEWART CO and PRINCE GOLEZ
MANILA – Solicitor General Jose Calida lauded the decision of the 14 Supreme Court (SC) magistrates ousting Maria Lourdes Sereno as chief justice.
Calida was the one who filed the quo warranto petition seeking Sereno’s ouster, which he said was an “epitome of judicial independence.”
In a statement after Friday’s landmark ruling, Calida said, “The Supreme Court decision ousting Maria Lourdes Sereno augurs well for the country as it preserves the stability and integrity of the Judiciary. This decision is the epitome of its exercise of judicial independence.”
He added that “despite the raucous voices of those pretending to champion the Constitution, the magistrates stayed true to their oath and faithfully adhered to the rule of law.”
Calida also appealed to Filipino s to “continue the fight against those intending to undermine the stability and integrity, not only of the judiciary, but also of the government as a whole.”
Atty. Lorenzo Gadon, who filed an impeachment complaint against Sereno at the House of Representatives, also welcomed the verdict.
He also dedicated the “win” to Sereno’s predecessor, the late Renato Corona, who was also ousted in 2012.
“With Sereno out, the SC and the judiciary have been liberated from the vestiges of the yellow cult which for many years have enslaved the people through machinations of deceit, fraud, indoctrination, and brainwashing for the advancement and protection of the yellow interest,” Gadon said.
Meanwhile, senators have mixed reactions to the SC ruling.
Sen. Joel Villanueva maintained that a chief justice must only me removed by impeachment.
“Again, I stand with our Constitution that the only means to remove the chief justice is through impeachment,” said Villanueva.
Sen. Bam Aquino stressed that Sereno was ousted without due process of law, saying “Natanggalan ang publiko ng karapatang malaman ang totoo at suriin ang kaso.”
Aquino added, “Tila ang may kapangyarihan na lang ang magdidikta ng hustisya. Talo na naman ang mga Pilipinong walang kalabanlaban.”
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Sereno’s removal is a “slap in the Senate’s face,” adding that it was a “black day for justice and the rule of law” in the country.
“By giving its nod to an obviously unconstitutional petition, the high tribunal has surrendered its judicial independence and integrity to the whims of President Duterte, and subverted altogether our constitutional process of impeachment,” said Hontiveros. “There is a clear attempt to relegate the Senate to the political sidelines.”
Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara said the 8-6 vote in favor of the quo warranto petition shows “a divided court on a very important constitutional issue.”
The ruling, according to Angara, “may not be a stable one and may be subject to revision going forward.”
Sen. Vicente Sotto III, on the other hand, called on the public to respect the SC decision.
“The Supreme Court is the highest interpreter of the Constitution and the laws. We respect its decision. To do otherwise is to make our personal opinion higher than what we regard as supreme,” the minority leader said.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the SC ruling on the quo warranto case against Sereno makes the impeachment proceeding moot.
“I don’t think the House will still transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate after the SC has granted the quo warranto. Having said that, there is no impeachment trial to speak of in the first place,” Lacson said.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said the SC justices who voted against Sereno “must not and will not go unpunished.”
“It is now the darkest hour in our democracy. The Supreme Court, which is supposed to be the cradle of our fragile Constitution, is the same body that killed it,” Trillanes said.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan believed that the latest SC ruling ignored and disrespected the Constitution.
“Pambabastos sa Saligang Batas ang ginawa ng mayorya sa Supreme Court. Tama ang posisyo nung anim. Hindi dahil mas maraming pabor sa pagpapatalsik ay tama ito – kawalan ng respeto sa ating Saligang Batas ang ipinakita nung mayorya,” said Pangilinan./PN
