MANILA – Despite its opposition, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines can do nothing more after the Supreme Court ruled with finality that Maria Lourdes Sereno be removed as chief justice.
Sereno may no longer file another motion for reconsideration so it is the end of the road for her case, IBP president Abdiel Dan Elijah Fajardo said in a televised interview Wednesday night.
“We were disappointed with the denial of the motion for reconsideration filed separately by the chief justice and by our group,” Fajardo told CNN Philippines.
The IBP leader believes it was the “end of the road” for the case “as far as judicial recourse is concerned.”
“Even if Senate will say they have jurisdiction, there is no case before them, so I think at this point it’s really sort of a dead end,” Fajardo added.
“We will try to set up forums for the people to express their views on this decision but of course, as a matter of law, this is final so we have no choice but to move on,” he added.
On Tuesday the Supreme Court dismissed the motion for reconsideration that Sereno filed against an earlier decision of her colleagues to unseat her as chief justice.
Om May 11 her fellow justices voted 8-6 to remove her from the position for her failure to file statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, granting a quo warranto petition that questioned Sereno’s appointment.
They made the similar voting in dismissing the motion for reconsideration.
Solicitor General Jose Calida filed the quo warranto plea, which is initiated to remove an unqualified official from their position, under Rule 66 of the Rules of Court.
Sereno was the first female Supreme Court chief justice and, at 52, the second youngest to head the judiciary when then President Benigno Aquino III appointed her in 2012 to replace the impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona./PN
