SC orders Sereno to answer quo warranto petition at oral arguments

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has ordered Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to personally answer the petition seeking the nullification of her appointment in 2012.

Sitting as full court, the SC on Tuesday set oral arguments for the petition for quo warranto proceedings filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida at the Supreme Court Session Hall in Baguio City, on April 10, 2:00 p.m.

Sereno, who is on indefinite leave, was ordered "to attend personally and answer questions from the Court En Banc."

The justices, led by Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, are in Baguio for its summer session.

Should Sereno attend the oral arguments, this will be the first time for her to answer the allegations herself. 

The government's chief legal counsel asked the SC to nullify Sereno's appointment due to her alleged failure to comply with the Judicial and Bar Council's requirement for applicants to the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

However, the JBC said that Sereno's submission of three of her SALNs was of "substantial compliance" with the requirement. Substantial compliance, in law, is the compliance with the essence of a rule or statute.

The chief justice is also facing an impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, a vocal supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Sereno did not appear in the 16 hearings held by a House of Representatives panel on the impeachment case against her. She has insisted that the she will answer the allegations against her when it reaches the Senate, which will act as the impeachment court.

Petitions for interventions tackled

The court en banc also tackled the three petitions for intervention, seeking the dismissal of Calida's petition.

The SC junked the two petitions filed by the Makabayan bloc of national democratic lawmakers and another group of petitioners led by "running priest" Fr. Robert Reyes. The court did not say why the petitions were dismissed.

The court, meanwhile, "noted" the motion filed by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. The 40,000-strong group of lawyers argued before the court that only an impeachment case can oust a sitting chief justice.

The IBP also said that Sereno was deemed qualified by the JBC, which included her in the shortlist, and President Benigno Aquino III, who appointed her.

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