MANILA – Several lawmakers weighed in on Tuesday on the Supreme Court’s final ruling on the removal of Maria Lourdes Sereno as chief justice.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV quickly put the blame on President Rodrigo Duterte.
The President had a hand in the high court’s refusal to reverse its May 11 decision to unseat Sereno as the country’s top magistrate, said Trillanes.
“Duterte once again succeeded in destroying another bulwark of our fragile democracy, the Supreme Court,” the senator said.
“Now only half of the Senate stands in his way from completely installing his ruthless and corrupt authoritarian regime,” Trillanes added.
Only the Senate as an impeachment court can remove a chief justice, Sen. Joel Villanueva stressed.
“From the very beginning I have stressed my position that the appropriate process to discuss the removal of Chief Justice Sereno is through an impeachment process,” said Villanueva.
“Clearly, according to the Constitution, the Senate has the sole responsibility in exacting accountability to judicial appointees or impeachable officers,” he said.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said the final ruling on the quo warranto petition against Sereno renders the Senate resolution opposing her removal moot. “Besides they admitted in interpellation that it will be used sa SC,” he said.
But Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the resolution may still be adopted.
“There is nothing wrong with the senate or anyone expressing its opinion or disagreement on a decision of the Supreme Court,” Drilon said.
Fourteen of 23 senators signed on Thursday Senate Resolution No. 738 urging the Supreme Court to review its decision to oust the chief justice.
They called the ruling a “dangerous precedent” that infringed on Congress’ constitutionally given power to impeach senior officials.
Eight of the signatories were allies of Duterte, including then Senate president Aquilino Pimentel III, who said Sereno can only be removed through congressional impeachment.
Meanwhile opposition representatives led by Tom Villarin (Akbayan) plan to file an impeachment complaint against the eight Supreme Court justices who voted to unseat Sereno.
“Hopefully we’ll have it (complaint) filed as soon as we finish compiling pertinent facts relevant to the individual charges against each of the eight justices,” said Villarin.
Rep. Teddy Baguilat of Benguet hopes the opposition party includes Sereno in its senatorial lineup for the 2019 mid-term elections.
“Now Chief Justice Sereno should carry on her fight for an independent judiciary,” said Baguilat. “She owes that to her country. She needs a platform – in another branch of government. I hope our party drafts her into the Senate resistance slate.”
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez welcomed the Supreme Court’s final decision.
“Our Constitution mandates the Supreme Court to be the final arbiter of legal and constitutional questions,” he said. “Let us respect its decision no matter what our persuasions are.” (With Adrian Stewart Co/PN)
